Daughter of Mal
by Reincarnations
Summary: After a drunk encounter with Harry Hook, Mal's pregnant with a baby that he refuses to claim. Respecting the wish, Mal keeps her baby a secret from almost everyone. One day, she and her three friends are invited to Auradon, where she misses her baby more with each passing day. Eventually, a king finds out and wants to claim her as his own, with permission from her grateful mother.
1. Chapter 1

**This story will start off somewhat tragic, but will end with a hopeful vibe to it.**

**I had created the story when an idea came to mind about the origin of the gold dragon-heart necklace that Mal wore in the third movie. I thought that it had to have some sort of value to it since it appeared in a couple scenes. Then I thought of how the last book lists a few events regarding the senior class, that made me think . . .**

**Why not create an event where the seniors have to give a gift to one another at the beginning of the year? Kind of like a Secret Santa?**

**From those ideas I thought about how to make the necklace more special to Mal, so I decided it to have it described as a locket. As more and more ideas came to mind, I realized that we don't particularly know why Mal's 'logo' is the two dragons that form a heart. I came up with a couple different theories in two completely different stories, but the theory in this one will be the best in my opinion.**

**Obviously, with the title, you know that there's going to be a baby. I thought about it being a complete stranger and Mal having no idea who the father is. However, I decided that the story would be much better if I made a well-known, flirtatious character the father, since there appeared to be some sort of unclarified chemistry between him and Mal.**

**That is all I'm going to say now so I don't spoil some of the major plots of the story. I will say that this chapter borders the 'M' rating, so let me know if you think I should change it.**

**WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!**

**THIS STORY WILL CONTAIN TRIGGER TOPICS, I.E. RAPE. DO NOT READ IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE SUCH SUBJECT. THIS CHAPTER WILL GO INTO SOMEWHAT DETAILS ABOUT IT.**

**YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

* * *

The day Mal's life changed forever happened because of a mistake she made on Halloween night.

You see, the citizens of the Isle of the Lost loved to celebrate the holiday since it gave them an excuse to be even more wicked than usual. The children played nasty tricks on the adults during the day, while teenagers and their parents partied on opposite sides of the island. On this particular Halloween, the parents were partying at Hell Hall while the teenagers partied on Captain Hook's ships.

Usually, Mal wouldn't be caught dead by the docks since she and Uma were practically mortal enemies. Since Jay and Harry Hook were pretty good friends, the teenage girls called a truce on the holiday to prevent them from ruining the boys' friendship. Besides, they wouldn't have to see one another as Uma would be working all night at her mother's restaurant.

Despite calling the truce so the boys could spend time together, a fifteen-year-old Harry Hook stayed by a fourteen-year-old Mal's side the entire time.

You may be wondering why their ages were specifically stated. Once we get further into the story, you'll understand why such a thing occurred. Trust me, age plays a critical role in this plot.

Anyways, practically no one paid attention to the pirate and the fairy's unusual interaction. Most who noticed shrugged carelessly, believing that Harry was getting close to Mal because his captain was nowhere in sight.

However, no one noticed Mal being pressured to drink.

What? They were children of villains! None of them followed the rules, so why would the teenagers listen to a drinking age limit?

Maybe if they had, Mal wouldn't have been placed in this predicament.

In fact, when thinking back on the events leading to the mistake, Harry had only one shot of whiskey the entire night. Compared to his one shot, Mal consumed enough to be on the border line of alcohol poisoning. Mal had made it clear when the party began that it was her first-time drinking, but Harry forced her to continue downing shots of whiskey and drinking semi-tall glasses of rum until _he _was satisfied with her drunken state. It was almost like he planned to get her drunk from the beginning—

Which makes Mal feel more . . . _violated _than she already was.

The fairy doesn't recall much of the Halloween party due to her being so intoxicated. Mal does remember, after having her last drink, begging Harry to take her away from the party because she wasn't feeling well. Harry complied, but instead of walking her home led her to his bedroom. Mal tried asking why they were there, but Harry interrupted her with a powerful kiss.

Now, Mal will admit, she has had somewhat of a crush on the pirate for the past couple years. She even imagined a time or two where she wanted to possibly date him, but never acted on it since her friend also had a small crush on him too. Her friend's crush on the pirate is less obvious due to him being such close friends with Harry.

But this changed Jay's whole perspective on the crooked pirate.

Mal had, at one time, believed that kissing Harry would be a dream come true. But this drunken kiss . . . she never felt so disgusted in her life. Harry had grabbed the back of her neck so she couldn't escape the lip-lock and proceeded to roughly grope her ass like he owned it. Mal tried her hardest in her drunken state to fight back, but slowly gave up from the lack of energy and lack of coherency. Once she fully lost the motivation to fight, Harry forcefully shoved her onto his bed and had his way with her. When he removed his shirt during a break in the kiss, Mal blacked out.

Although some may not believe it, but Mal couldn't see anything for short periods of time. However, she could feel everything that was happening to her. She could feel Harry tugging her clothes off like it was a race or a competition to get it done as fast as possible. With no warning, Mal felt this unbearable pain that caused her to let out a blood curdling scream, but Harry silenced her with another kiss.

Even if Harry allowed her to scream her lungs out for his sick pleasure, no one would be able to hear the fairy. On the main deck a few feet above, a live band was playing at an obnoxiously loud volume while the teenagers singed off-tune at the top of their lungs. No one had paid them any attention when they were leaving, so why anyone notice them being gone? After all, everyone was having so much fun at the party that they really didn't care who was around.

There was a time or two that Mal believed the torture was over with, but then she would hear Harry mumble something about another round. Before she could comprehend what he had said, Mal would feel him on top of her again and the revoltingly painful feeling returned. This routine probably occurred . . . three times? Maybe four? Mal lost count after the third because of how mortified she truly was.

Time passed by with Mal finally regaining her vision. The first thing she could see was the morning light gleaming through the window of the ship. Forcing herself out of bed while carefully removing Harry's arm off her so the pirate wouldn't wake, Mal dressed in her tossed aside clothing while fighting the massive headache and the gut-wrenching feeling in the pit of her stomach. It didn't help that she had the strong urge to vomit the liquids she was forced to consume the night before.

As quietly and as quickly as she could, Mal fled the pirate ship before anyone could see her there and before anyone could wake. As soon as she was finally away from the docks, Mal stumbled to the nearest alley-way and vomited all the contents of her stomach, which happened to be nothing but pure liquid.

Once that was over with, the fairy debated where she should go at the moment. Maleficent would surely be awake by the time Mal returned home and wouldn't want to listen to what happened to her daughter. Even if she did, Maleficent would most likely ridicule her for being so weak and for giving in so easily.

Mal considered going to her father, Hades. Although her parents separated nearly ten years ago, Mal tries to spend each weekend with him to keep their relationship alive, though no one knows that they are relatives. Hades would be more considerate of her feelings, but would end up confronting the pirate and create a major scene. Everyone would give looks of pity that would make her feel more worthless than she already felt.

Besides, there was one person that Mal wante—no, _needed_ to tell before anyone else.

So, hugging herself tightly in a way to comfort herself, Mal slowly staggered to the hideout at the center of the island. A couple years ago, she and Jay found the abandoned building and decided to make it their safe haven; a place to hide from their parents and to confide in one another about their secrets or feelings. The hideout is where Jay finally revealed to Mal that he was gay, which made her respect him more than before for having the courage to tell her something that others would ridicule him for.

Not long after Mal arrived at the hideout, Jay appeared looking like he had the best night of his life. His happiness quickly faded away when he noticed Mal rocking herself back and forth on the lumpy couch, like she had experienced the worst night of her life.

Wordless, Jay knelt before her and rubbed soothing circles on her knees in an attempt to calm her down, though it made her more tense than at ease. It took some time, but while fighting back tears and the sobbing, Mal told her best friend what occurred just a few hours before. Her skin was practically crawling from the inside from telling her tragedy. Meanwhile, Jay's blood boiled in rage, but he kept his composure for her sake. He was so surprised that Mal could keep her emotions together despite going through such a horrifying scenario.

"Who do you want to tell?" Jay questioned as an unspoken thought lingered in the air. "Just in case?"

"Not my mother," Mal declared with an adamant shake of her head. "There's no telling what she will say or do to me. The only other person I would be comfortable telling is my dad . . . Hades."

Jay allowed his jaw to slack slightly at the announcement. "Hades is your father?" He questioned rhetorically, though he shook his head in amusement a few moments afterwards. "No wonder you have such a bad temper. You probably got it from him."

"And hopefully he won't unleash his temper on me," Mal grumbled while bowing her head in shame.

"Hey." Jay raised the fairy's chin as gently and as carefully as possible so she could gaze at him without flinching. "He won't. I have never met him, but I know you two love each other just by the way you said his name. We will help you get through this."

"What if I'm . . ." Mal trailed off, unable to speak the idea that was still circling the air.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Jay reassured with a nod of confidence. "For now, let's go to your dad. He will be able to comfort you more than I ever could."

* * *

With it still being the early morning on that Saturday day, no one was walking through the streets of the Isle of the Lost, giving the duo the perfect opportunity to travel to Hades's home, which was in an underground mine that was created a few years before they were born. However, once they traveled to the underground tunnel, Jay had to pick the lock on the skull shaped gate since Mal left her skeleton key at their hideout. Within a minute, the expert thief managed to unlock the gate allowing the duo venture deeper underground.

Now, they had the option to pedal a minor bike through the tunnel, but Mal was feeling so miserable that she barely had the motivation to walk. When Jay offered to carry her, the fairy flinched at the idea before shaking her head adamantly at the idea. Physical contact at the moment would make her feel worse since it would remind her off what happened mere hours before.

After what felt like hours, the two finally arrived at the end of the trail which could be described as a man-cave, since it was literally a cave. It was a large spacious place that had a makeshift kitchen on one side, a door on the other side that led to a bedroom that Mal usually slept in, and a living room set up in the center: a large, lumpy couch near the back wall with a box TV resting on crate a few feet away from them.

In the kitchen barely big enough to fit one person, Hades was in the middle of cooking a somewhat edible breakfast with the spoiled ingredients sent from the mainland. Having heard footsteps from behind him, Hades slightly shouted, "You're early Mali! I'll have the food ready in ten. If you can't wait there may be something in the—"

"_Daddy_," his beautiful little girl sobbed irregular of herself.

Tensing up at the unfamiliar tone, Hades whirled around to witness the tears that streamed unchecked down his daughter's cheeks. With another sob, Mal surged forward to hug her father, causing him to instinctively swallow her in a comforting embrace. Feeling so protected, shielded, and safe in his arms, Mal let out piercing scream as she cried carelessly into her father's chest, breaking his heart at the unfamiliar action.

Since she was unable to do so, Jay slowly explained the general events of what happened to the broken girl the night before and into the morning, careful to not go into detail to prevent her from getting more upset than she already was. Either way, Mal tightened her hold on her father as he slowly rubbed the top of her head down to end of her below shoulder-length purple hair.

"Mali," Hades cooed ever so gently. "I need you to look at me."

Reluctantly, Mal raised her head to gaze at her father. The god's temper flared at the sight of her puffy red eyes and her pale cheeks all cause by the tragic events that cruelly happened to her. However, he kept his anger momentarily in check for the sake of his daughter, who needed his calm composure more than ever.

"Yes or no," he began before asking the question he already knew the answer to, "did he use protection?"

As the god suspected, Mal shook her glumly. "He didn't," she denied through a sob. "I checked before I left this morning. I couldn't find anything."

"That's okay," Hades quickly reassured. "That doesn't necessarily mean _that_ will happen, but we will have to tell Yen Sid. He can get a test from Auradon to deny or confirm it. If you are, then will you—"

"Keep," Mal decided surprisingly quickly as she bravely wiped away a stray tear. "Despite what _horrendous_ event that created them, they are still innocent. But if Mother finds out—"

"She won't," Hades reassured softly. "We will tell only Yen Sid at the moment. It may take some time before we get the test, so we will have to wait. For now, continue going to school and go about your daily activities. Your mother will suspect something if you suddenly break your routine."

Kissing his daughter's forehead lovingly, Hades mumbled, "Don't worry. I will be here to help you through everything. Nothing will happen to you . . . _or _them."


	2. Chapter 2

Two pink, parallel lines.

That is what the test showed a month later after Mal took the test in the safety of her father's home. It took Professor Yen Sid quite a bit of manipulation to get said test without revealing too much information to the current King and Queen of Auradon. The do-goer simply told the royals that an unnamed villain was unsure of something and needed to be confirmed for peace of mind.

It was confirmed alright. The results were positive, which meant Mal was—

"Do you want me to tell him?" Jay offered softly, though there was a hidden tenseness to it. "No promises that I won't do anything to him."

"The same goes for me," Hades warned as he crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest. "In fact, I wouldn't mind teaching him a lesson or two."

"No," Mal quickly denied before her father could get any ideas. With a new weight of responsibility on her shoulders, she asserted, "I need to be the one to tell him. I _need_ to be present when he finds out so I can witness his reaction. I already know what he's going to do, it's just the matter of seeing it for myself."

The fairy offered a brave smile to her father and friend, who gazed at her with sympathy. "Don't worry," she reassured calmly despite her current predicament. "I'm happy that I am . . . you know. I just wish it was under better circumstances and by someone who actually cares for me; not someone that used me like he did."

* * *

After a leisurely walk that afternoon, Mal arrived at the docks with a somewhat blissful attitude. Despite the pain she went through, Mal was practically walking on cloud nine at the news. She just couldn't believe that in a few short months she will be a—

"Hey, Mal."

Mal flinched as her focus was adverted to the elder teenager in front of her, who was grinning from ear to ear like a senile killer. Harry seemed to gaze at her with a certain gleam in his eye, the same gleam that had been there a month ago when he took advantage of her. The fairy's blood suddenly turned cold at the chilling atmosphere between them.

"I need to talk to you," Mal mumbled so only he could hear her, "in private. . ."

"Of course." The pirate's smile turned a little more sinister as he suggested, "We could go back to my room on the ship if you'd like. Give you another ride—"

"I'm pregnant."

At first Harry didn't believe the fairy. He thought it was a prank Jay schemed for her to do after telling him about her 'wonderful' night with the pirate. However, when he noticed the serious look in Mal's eyes, Harry visibly paled as his shit-eating grin suddenly dropped into a horrified, agape frown.

"It can't be mine," Harry refuted with a scared head-shake of rejection. "There's no way."

"You stole my virginity," Mal reminded quietly as she kept her eyes on the bystanders around her, who wasn't paying any attention to her or him. "You were the only person I had sex with because you forced yourself on me. You didn't use protection and I didn't have any because, as I had previously mentioned, I was a virgin. I wanted to wait until I was married, but you prevented that from happening. Now, we are having a baby."

"_You _are having a baby," Harry corrected in a harsh whisper. "I want nothing to do with it. This is all your fault!"

"My fault?" Mal repeated incredulously as she finally felt her getting angry about her situation. "_You _were the one that forced me to get drunk. _You _were the one that forced yourself on me when I tried fighting back. _You _were the one that raped _me_!"

"That _thing _isn't mine," Harry retorted bitterly. "I _never _wanted kids. As far as I'm concerned, it would be best to get rid of it before it's too late."

Mal glared at the pirate with a certain stubborn fire in her green eyes. "You said _they_ aren't yours so, as far as I'm concerned, you can't tell me what to do with _my _child. I am keeping _my_ baby and I will love them unconditionally. Unless you change your mind, I will raise my baby _without_ you. If you don't before they are born, then they will _never_ know you to be their father."

"Good!" Harry exclaimed through a whisper. "Gives me one less problem to worry about!"

* * *

Returning to her father's home where her friend also awaited her, Mal reiterated the conversation between her and her assaulter. Just like her daughter, Hades suspected that the pirate wouldn't own up to his mistake. Admittedly, Jay had been optimistic that Harry would do the right thing, despite being raised another way. Now, the infamous thief was more furious than he's ever been before.

"I'll do it," Jay declared in a moment of silence. "I'll raise it as my own."

"_They_," Mal corrected while sitting next to her father on the sofa, who had an arm around his daughter's shoulder to comfort her. "And I can't let you do that."

"Why not?"

"Because you're gay," she reminded with a slightly teasing tone as she leaned on her father for support. "You would be miserable trying to raise my child because you only see me as a best friend, nothing more. I would rather have you be their uncle or even their god-father, _not _their father. I can't ask that of you."

"And you two can argue about that later," Hades interrupted before the thief could fire back. "For now, we have to worry about you during your pregnancy. Do you want to keep it a secret?"

"For as long as humanly possible," Mal confirmed with a slight nod. "And maybe even a couple years after I have my baby, just so Mother can't do anything to us."

"She won't," Hades promised for the second time. "If you want to keep your baby a secret, then we will only tell a select few. One person that we will have to tell is Lady Tremaine. I may be a god, but I can't deliver a baby, and she has the most experience on the island. We can keep your baby here until we tell everyone."

"We'll have to tell Dr. Facilier," Jay claimed knowingly. "We may be in the winter months now, but by the time spring rolls around, Mal's pregnant belly will start to show. She can hide it with large coats during the cold, but people will find it suspicious if she does that in the warmer weather. If she stops going to school before then, she will miss three months. If you, Hades, talk to the headmaster, he can lie to the other teachers about Mal being sick, convince them that she is being home-schooled so she doesn't get held back."

"I'm nearly a month into my pregnancy," Mal acknowledged as she tried to do the mental math. "That means I will have to hide out during the summer until I have my baby. I may miss a week or so of the new school year, but I can catch up."

"And Facilier and Tremaine will sympathize with you," Hades commented to comfort his daughter. "They will allow you to skip their classes so you can spend time with your baby; maybe do the same for Jay. You could also skip the usual lunch period to spend it with him or her."

Mal sighed at all the planning they had to do. "I hope I have a girl," she revealed with a light shrug. "I wouldn't have to worry about her resembling Harry as much."

"Or about getting clothes for her," Hades joked half-seriously. "I still have all your clothes from when you were a child because your mother didn't want them taking up space at her place."

Jay tilted his head curiously. "If you do have a girl, what will you name her?"

Mal pondered on it for a few moments before the perfect name came to mind. It was a combination of her name and the father's, just to spite him that she kept _their_ child. The daughter's name will be—

"Mallory."


	3. Chapter 3

The more people Mal had to tell about her situation, the worse she felt.

The sympathizing looks received from the headmaster of Dragon Hall was understandable, since he has a daughter just four years younger than Mal. Dr. Facilier couldn't imagine having to go through the same scenario with his little girl, so he promised to do everything he could to help with Mal's education and keep her 'disappearance' a secret. The Voodoo Man even offered his daughter's old clothes if the baby turned out to be a girl, but Hades assured that he still had all of Mal's clothing from when she was an infant.

Lady Tremaine, on the other hand, gazed at the young fairy with a certain gleam in her stern eyes. Her posture was of that of judgmental attitude, though it was suspected since she was set in her old fashion ways. Instead of speaking to Mal directly, the wicked step-mother ridiculed Hades—for he had went with his daughter for support—for allowing his daughter to engage in sexual activities at such a young age. In fact, Lady Tremaine suggested asking the Auradonians for help with ridding the 'misfit' of the consequences of her actions.

"First, I did _not _ask to be raped," Mal had bitterly snapped. "Second, I did not ask for someone I hardly knew to take advantage of me. Lastly, I did not ask to be pregnant, but I am _not_ going to abort my baby. She is an innocent little girl and I _won't _punish her just because she was created from an undesirable situation. If you won't help me deliver my child, then I will find someone who will!"

Shocked by his daughter's behavior, Hades was just about to scold her when Lady Tremaine chuckled, much to the father-daughter duo's surprise. The wicked step-mother actually praised the teenager for being so courageous to raise the child alone, which Mal quickly denied—claiming she will Jay and her father to help her. Somewhat amused by the fairy's determination, Lady Tremaine offered her assistance and the promise to keep the child secret as a reward for her bravery.

Despite the encounters turning out smoothly, it secretly made Mal fearful. Both reactions were on opposite sides of the meter, which meant there will be a mixture of those similar reactions when she eventually revealed her baby to the island. So many people will judge her negatively . . . but that price will be worth it when she sees her beautiful little girl for the first time—_if _Mal has a daughter.

Although the main problems—concerning Mal's education and the delivery of the infant—were sorted out, there was still one major obstacle.

_Maleficent_.

The Mistress of Evil would grow curious if her daughter suddenly vanished, though it would probably take some time for her to notice. Either way, something will have to be done so she is kept out of the dark of her daughter's pregnancy. Luckily, Hades devised a somewhat full-proof plan, which involved getting into a squabble with his ex-wife.

Seriously.

The god and elder fairy got into a _very_ heated dispute about the custody of fourteen-year-old Mal, who cautiously watched from behind her bedroom door while unconsciously having a protective hand on her growing stomach. After a near three-hour yelling match, the divorced couple _finally_ came to an agreement.

Due to Mal spending the last ten years with her mother since the split, Maleficent would allow her to stay with her father until she becomes an adult, on one condition. Mal would still have to keep her father a secret from the people on the island. In fact, Maleficent didn't even cared if Mal visited or not; she just wanted her '_fling_' with the immortal to remain unknown.

When everything seemed to finally be under control, the Fates decided to throw a knife in a friendship, potentially ruining it forever.

Dragon Hall had just begun their winter break, with class not scheduled to continue until the beginning of the following month, which was the start of the new year. Mal was craving hush-puppies from Ursula's Fish and Chips—the same food she used to eat when she was still friends with Uma—so Jay volunteered to travel across the island for the grub. He wanted an excuse to 'stretch his legs' and try to 'warm up' from the cold weather.

Or, at least that's what he told Mal.

Now, don't make assumptions about Jay looking for a fight. Yes, he was fully prepared to get into a scuffle with the pirate that defiled his friend. However, the thief silently determined he would do nothing unless he bumped into the perpetrator.

Of course, the Fates shamelessly delivered the condition to stir up more drama in the pregnant teenager's life.

In the early afternoon when business was slow, Jay had just finished ordering when the devil in the body of a pirate strolled into the restaurant like he owned the place. In reality, he was merely the first mate of the captain whose mother owned the establishment. The pirate may act all high and mighty, but he is just a servant to the teenager that practically ruled that side of the Isle.

"Hey, Jay!" Harry Hook shouted, patting the thief's shoulder in greeting. "Up for a sparring match later? We haven't had one in a while."

"Can't," Jay insisted sharply as he kept his gaze forward. "I'll be busy."

"Doing what?" The pirate wondered as his infamous smirk 'graced' his lips. "Scouting out a scene for a robbery? I'd be willing to help ya, but it would cost ya some of the profits."

"No." Jay gripped the bar table to contain his anger as he lowered his voice, "I'll be busy tending to my pregnant friend."

Harry's smirk faltered to a frown with a skeptical eye-raise. "She still hasn't gotten rid of it yet?"

"_Her_," the thief corrected with a hiss. "Not _it_. She's hoping for a girl, so the baby doesn't look like her father. So _she_ doesn't look like _you_."

Harry immediately shook his head in denial. "It's not mine," he insisted stubbornly, though he subconsciously dropped his tone to a whisper. "I already told you-know-who that. I thought she'd see my side of things."

"You don't have a side," Jay argued, turning his head slightly to glare at the pirate. "You wanted to get some so you concocted a plan to do so with her. You took advantage of her."

"That's not what happened," Harry pigheadedly claimed in a vain attempt to keep his friend. "She didn't tell me to stop."

"Did she try getting away from you?"

The pirate hesitated, trying to recall the events from a couple months before. "Yes, but—"

"But couldn't because her intoxication took over her ability to fight back," Jay interrupted as his glare sharpened into a scowl. "If she had been sober, she could have made it to where you couldn't have kids. You should feel at least somewhat grateful that you will have a girl, or maybe a boy. You need to step up and take responsibility for your irresponsible actions."

Harry clenched his jaw at his friend's attempt to guilt trip him. "_It _is not mine," he denied through gritted teeth. "I will _never _step up because _it _will _never _be mine."

Before the mulish pirate or the patrons of the repugnant eatery could comprehend what was happening, the vindictive thief swiftly struck Harry in the gut. When Harry doubled over in pain, Jay used the opportunity to forcefully flip the pirate, who plummeted harshly on a nearby table, which busted into unrecognizable pieces due to the brute force.

While Harry tried his hardest to sit up, Jay towered over him like a guardian angel fully prepared to commit murder for the job. "Cross over my side of the Isle again," Jay began to snarl, clenching his fist to contain his anger, "and I will _not_ hesitate to _kill _you."

Satisfied with the scared expression on the pirate's face, Jay roughly grabbed the grocery bag that contained the desired food before practically strutting out of the restaurant with all wondering eyes on him, though he really didn't care.

Jay felt better than he's had in the past few months.

* * *

Of course, after gifting the food to the pregnant teenager in the safety of her father's home, Jay recapped his encounter with the crooked pirate.

"You shouldn't have done that," Mal scolded between bites of the delectable 'treat'. "How am I supposed to get more hush-puppies if you and I can't go to that portion of the island!"

Hades snickered at his daughter's priorities. "I can get it for you," the god insisted teasingly, but then his tone turned serious. "But that bastard better be lucky that _I _wasn't the one he came across. I wouldn't have been as merciful as Jay."

The pregnant fairy adverted her attention to the fuming thief, who appeared as though he needed to let out more of his anger. "Hey," Mal chided so her friend would look at him. "_He _was not right for you. You need someone who was raised by a thief that changed his ways. Like someone from Auradon!"

Just like she was hoping, Jay burst out in laughter at the suggestion. "Yeah, right!" He exclaimed with a small smile; his temper temporarily subsided. "I'm never going to fall for a guy in _Auradon_. And I am not exactly looking for someone to date at the moment. I'm more focused on waiting for my niece's arrival."

"I wouldn't forsake the thought just yet," Hades warned encouragingly. "After all, the Prince of Auradon is supposed to become 'king' in a couple years. He may allow villains to travel to the mainland."

Mal scoffed at the idea. "Well I won't go, not without my little girl."

If only she knew . . .

That she would one day reluctantly break the vow for her relentless mother.


	4. Chapter 4

Months passed by with no one suspecting anything, though that really surprised the pregnant fairy. After all, Mal's belly grew with every passing day, forcing her to wear bigger and bulkier coats to hide the pregnancy. Luckily, the students at Dragon Hall never spared her a second glance since they feared doing the wrong thing would give them bad repercussions.

Speaking of time passing, the winter weather changed later than expected, giving the main trio more time to plan out Mal's 'disappearance' so no one becomes doubtful. Like Jay had suggested the months prior, Mal agreed to cause a dramatic scene at school to display her illness. In Lady Tremaine's or Dr. Facilier's class, either teacher will expose a smell that is delightful to the classmates yet pungent to the pregnant teenager, which will cause her to 'unexpectedly' flee the classroom. Jay will check on her, come back into the classroom, say Mal has come down with a 'strange' illness, and then leave to carry her home.

During the first week of March, the 'group' decided that was the best opportunity since warm weather was predicted for the rest of the month. So, on that Wednesday morning, Mal dressed for her last day of school in her father's bedroom—careful to hide her baby bump once again—before walking into the main room of the cave.

Mal sighed in slight remorse at a seeing a certain sight. "Dad, you shouldn't have to do this," she commented glumly. "We need to take turns or something. I know sleeping there must be uncomfortable."

Groaning at his awkward sleeping position, Hades straightened to a sitting position as he stretched out his sore muscles. "You are _not _sleeping on the couch," he sternly scolded lovingly. "In case you somehow forgot, you are four months pregnant with my grand-child. You need to be as comfortable as possible so nothing happens to your baby, so you sleeping on my bed is the best option."

"That doesn't mean you have to be uncomfortable!" Mal insisted stubbornly. "At least get a cot or something. You can't sleep on a couch forever."

"I'll think about it," Hades reassured with a yawn. "By the way, Lady Tremaine has an old crib in her mansion used for her grand-daughters that she's giving to us. It will need some repairs since it's so old. I thought I could fix whatever I needed to and you can paint it however you like. Since you are such a fantastic artist, I thought you would enjoy it to pass some time."

"I really would like that," Mal agreed with a small smile. "I already have the perfect design in mind for the headboard; two dragons, one green and one purple, with their heads pressed together to create a heart. The purple dragon will be bigger and sort of towering over the smaller green dragon."

Hades raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Let me guess: the purple dragon is you being protective of Mallory, who is the green dragon?" When his daughter nodded eagerly, he couldn't help chuckling. "Sounds wonderful, Mali. I'll be sure to get you the appropriate and safest paint for you to use in your condition. For now, enjoy your last day of school as best as you can."

* * *

The day dragged on longer than Mal thought it would, as she was waiting for the perfect opportunity to play out the scheme. Her morning class with Dr. Facilier would be slightly too early and may seem as too obvious, as her classmates would naturally assume she was trying to get out of school for the day. Lady Tremaine's class was the better option since it was a couple hours before the school day would end. Besides, the classmates would genuinely believe something was wrong since Mal enjoys the wicked step-mother's classes and wouldn't do anything to get out of it.

It was just a few moments after the rest of the tardy students arrived for that particular class when Mal felt something unusual happening with her hidden baby bump. It was such a faint tickle that the fairy believed she was imagining it.

However, as soon as Mal subtly ran her hand over her baby bump, the feeling morphed into a gentle tap.

Mal inaudible gasped in revelation, realizing what exactly was causing the unfamiliar sensation. Since she had such wide eyes and her mouth was hanging slightly agape, the fairy attracted some of her peers' attention quicker than she had wanted. Locking eyes with a confused and somewhat curious Jay, who was seated across the way, Mal made a split decision—

She bolted out of the classroom.

I know, I know. That seems a little dramatic, but to be perfectly fair that is what she and her friend had planned a few days before. Since she had a better reason to leave, Mal's action appeared more authentic than if she faked having an illness.

Of course, Jay followed the fairy as originally intended, though he didn't realize that a new development had occurred.

With everyone being in their respective classrooms, the hallways were completely void of student and staff. By the staircase—which only lead to below ground levels—Mal eagerly awaited with a wide excited smile gracing her lips.

"What happened?" Jay interrogated concerningly. "Why did you leave earlier than we discussed?"

"It's not my fault," Mal whispered stubbornly, though her smile never faltered. "Blame Mallory."

The infamous thief furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Mallory?" He repeated with a slightly snarled nose of uncertainty. "What does she have to do with this?"

"She kicked!" Mal squealed energetically while jumping up and down just as enthusiastically. "My baby girl kicked!"


	5. Chapter 5

After fulfilling the rest of the plan accordingly and returning to her home, Mal eagerly told her father of what transpired nearly an hour before. Although he found her reaction entertaining, Hades admitted he acted in similar fashion when he first felt Mal kick in her mother's womb. In fact, the god was so in awe by incredible sensation that he annoyed his ex-wife when he always had a hand on her baby bump so he wouldn't miss any kicks.

It wasn't hard to believe that Mal somehow inherited her father's admiration for the 'miracle', as Hades had called it. From that day onward Mal kept a gentle hand on her baby bump, which continued to grow little by little with every passing day. There were quite a few times where Hades would catch his daughter trying her hardest not to lull to sleep so she wouldn't miss a single kick. The god thought the action was amusing, considering he would wake up to her squeal in the middle of the night due to feeling the baby move around.

As the months passed, Mal became impatient about her daughter, or son, making her grand entrance. There was one night where the fairy dreamed about her little girl being in her arms, but then suddenly shouted for her 'daddy' as she jumped toward a handsome stranger. The man, either a prince or king with auburn hair and green eyes, happily swoop Mallory into his arms and blew thousands of kisses on the girl's cheek. Mallory giggled a squeal before begging her 'daddy' to stop.

Obviously, Mal was immensely confused by her vision. When she first heard her daughter shout, she believed the man was Harry, but was very surprised to see the stranger. From his spic-and-span fancy blue suit and the gold crown on his head, it was apparent that he had to be some kind of king or at least a prince. The way he treated Mal's daughter made her believe that he truly cared for Mallory. Still, Mal knew that would _never _happen. The prince-king wasn't even real!

. . . Right?

Now that she thought about it, Mal could have sworn that she's seen the mystery man before. Though he appeared to be older, if she considered Mallory appearing to be older, he may actually Mal's age.

But where could she have seen him from?

Speaking of her baby's 'daddy', a small encounter occurred during the summer months, just a month or so before Mallory would come into the world. Jay, being the amazing best friend that he was, reluctantly traveled to the only fish restaurant for Mal's favorite craving, while Hades ventured to the barges. Hades's brothers, unsure it was one or both, had learned about the baby from him and wanted to do something to help, so they sent the basic essentials: diapers, milk formula, a black baby blanket with the insignia Mal described previously—which found its way on every shirt or jacket she owned—and practically anything else you can think of.

Anyways, Jay had been tensely waiting for the food to be cooked when Harry approached him again. The thief advised to let him be, but the pirate refused, wondering once again if Mal had her 'thing' yet or if _finally _she decided to get rid of 'it'.

"_Her_ name is Mallory," Jay hissed quietly as customers mingled around them. "And no, she hasn't had her yet. We're thinking one more month. Why? Have you finally decided to step up?"

Instead of answering, Harry scrunched up his nose at the name reveal. "Mallory?" He repeated incredulously, mindful to keep his volume down. "Where did she come up with a name like that?"

"She combined her name with yours to spite you about keeping her baby." Jay finally turned his head to gaze at the pirate with an inquisitive eyebrow. "So? Are you stepping up?"

"No," Harry quickly denied with a head shake. "Like I told you before, I never will because it will never be mine. I would rather forget that this whole scenario is happening."

"You know how you could have prevented this?" Jay questioned rhetorically, his anger spiking but still being somewhat maintained. "By not getting my best friend drunk and then raping her for your sick pleasure."

The infamous thief paused his scolding for a moment to pay for the food. Grabbing the grocery sack, he spared a moment to glare at the cowardly pirate. "As I said before," Jay continued as his glare sharpened, "stay away from my side of the Isle. Don't you _ever _come near Mal _or_ Mallory."

Harry scoffed at the threat. "You don't have to worry about that. The last thing I want is for that baby to know that I'm its father. After this situation, I am more than content with being single for the rest of my life."

"Yet I doubt that will stop you from hooking up with random chicks that you don't give a shit about," Jay retorted bitterly before brushing pass the pirate, not caring about his reaction to the assumption.

The thief walked briskly to the entrance as he silently fumed at having to deal with the encounter and that the pirate didn't feel any genuine remorse from what he had done. Resting his hand on the swinging door, Jay hesitated before turning to face Harry again.

"You know, I used to have a crush on you," Jay revealed, finding himself somewhat amused by the pirate's shocked expression. "I thought you were a well-fit, handsome guy that could potentially be my life partner, but you became off-limits when I discovered my friend was crushing on you too. Now, after what you did, I am _repulsed _by you. I thought about becoming asexual since you nearly ruined my views on dating males. The next time we cross paths, you better pray to the gods that I don't kick your ass."

Taking in the customers' reactions at the 'big' reveal—though they still had no idea what was going on—Jay dramatically pushed through the exit, finding himself surprisingly relieved at revealing his 'dark' secret.

Now the only thing he had left to hide was his beautiful niece, who has yet to make her grand entrance.

* * *

Returning to the cave where he accidentally awoke the napping pregnant fairy, Jay tensely informed her of what transpired nearly half an hour ago.

"I told you he wasn't right for you," Mal reminded somewhat teasingly as she graciously took the main food she's been craving throughout the whole pregnancy, comically resting it on her enormous baby bump. "You need an Auradon thief. Someone who can match your skills with ease."

Jay chuckled at the advice. "There isn't anyone that can compete with my talents, especially someone from a kingdom filled to the brim with goody-goodies. You would have a better chance at finding yourself an Auradon prince."

Tensing up at remembering her dream, Mal scoffed to advert her friend from her reaction. "A prince won't want to be with me," she insisted bitterly, "not once he finds out I have a daughter at such a young age. Besides, I'm not exactly looking for someone to date. In a few weeks, I have my little girl to worry about raising."

"Speaking of a few weeks," Jay began with a smile, purposely changing the subject so the pregnant fairy wouldn't get emotional, "your birthday is coming up next month. Is there anything you want for your big fifteen? Something to make it special?"

Pondering on an idea or two, Mal shrugged carelessly, though she had something in mind. "Just to spend the day with my little girl," she decided with another shrug. "She would be the best gift I could ever ask for now."

Mal didn't realize then that her wish would come true. Or that a few years from then, Jay would give her something that would nearly top being with Mallory—

Since the mother would be missing her daughter so much by then.


	6. Chapter 6

You know what's worse than starting the new school year as a freshman without your best friend?

Starting the new school year as a freshman with everyone whispering behind your back about the secret you revealed a month ago to the guy that impregnated your best friend.

To make matters worse, it's your best friend's birthday and you have nothing to give her to cope with being fifteen and expecting a baby very soon.

Yeah, let's just say, Jay is not having a good day.

Don't worry your pretty little heads! Jay's day will get better soon enough. First he will have to endure the beginning passing hour, knock a few pipsqueaks around for snickering behind him, grab his and Mal's class schedule when she starts in a couple weeks, defend himself for being gay, and attend the first few minutes of his first hour class.

Simple, right?

. . . Yeah, I didn't think so either.

On the bright side, the headmaster scheduled Mal's classes so she could spend at least three hours of the day with her daughter or son, since they still aren't positive about the gender. It would be bad if the narrator mistook the gender and had the author incorrectly name the title. That would be _so _embarrassing!

Alright, enough fourth wall break for now.

With Mal's schedule she had Lady Tremaine for second hour, a half-an-hour long study hall right next to a thirty-minute lunch, and then Dr. Facilier for seventh hour. The headmaster reassured the thief that the schedule could be modified, and the thief could skip his class if needed.

Feeling somewhat relieved that everything was under control for the school year, Jay headed to his first hour class, which just happened to be Lady Tremaine's class. The school bell rang, signaling the beginning of class, but there was no teacher. A few minutes passed with the old woman still nowhere in sight. Some students mumbled about something possibly happening to her and wondered if they needed to do something. Right before a decision could be made, Lady Tremaine walked into the classroom like nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Apologizes for being later than expected," Lady Tremaine greeted as she strolled to her desk. "As most of you are aware, Mal had contracted a disease that made her incapacitated these past few months. Checking on her this morning, I am somewhat happy to inform that she is feeling much better and should be back in school next week."

While all of his classmates whispered to one another about the unusual illness, Jay's eyes widened in surprise along his mouth hanging slightly agape. If he was assuming correctly by what the wicked step-mother was saying, then he missed—

"Jay," Lady Tremaine called, snapping the thief out of his thoughts. With a small smile, she informed, "Mal asked that you go see her now since you failed to a couple hours ago. I'll tell your next teacher that you won't be in class, but I expect you to be back by third hour."

Nodding so briskly that his head could fall off, Jay roughly grabbed his bag before barreling out of the classroom—

Scolding himself for missing such an important occasion.

* * *

Jay didn't slow his pace during his travel across the island, nearly giving himself a heart-attack in the process. He was pushing past bystanders, jumping over oddly placed merchant carts; basically, he was dangerously crossing through any obstacle that stood in his path. He wanted to get to his destination as fast as he could to make up for not being there to begin with. He didn't even bother with the miner bike since he believed he could get there faster without it.

When he finally burst into the living quarters of the cave, Jay noticed that there was no one in the facility and everything was quiet like a mouse.

"Mal?" Jay called out, his voice echoing in the cave.

"In the bedroom," he heard her beckon, her voice somewhat calm and soothing.

Hurrying across the home, Jay accidentally slammed the bedroom door open, causing Mal to jump from her spot on the bed.

"Don't be so loud!" Mal scolded, though her tone was still sweet and loving as she cradled a bundle of joy in a blanket gifted by her uncles. "You'll wake up your niece if you keep that up."

Suspicion confirmed, Jay slowly ventured to the bedside to take in the wonderful scene. Being rocked in her mother's arm slept a beautiful baby girl with skin as pale as the moon, just slightly paler than her mother's since she spent nearly five months in a cave. The infant's hair had the same purple color as her mother's, though she barely had enough to cover her soft, newborn head. The little girl was sleeping soundly in her mother's arms, though her face was slightly scrunched up from the abrupt noise.

"Mallory," Mal cooed affectionately, "this is your uncle, Jay-Jay."

Surprisingly, Jay snickered at the name. " 'Jay-Jay'?" He repeated with a smile. "That's all you could think of for me?"

"More like the only name that would be easy for her to say," Mal joked, carefully not to move her daughter around too much. "I think we're going to have Mallory call Dad 'Grandpa Aido', since his first name given to him by the mortals was 'Aidoneus'. Dad actually suggested the nickname because he wants her to be the only one allowed to call him by his real name."

"Well, Mallory is beautiful," Jay complimented as his smile grew. "She looks identical to her mother."

"Except for one thing," Mal claimed cautiously.

When the new uncle tilted his head in confusion, the new mother gently woke her daughter up with a simple abrupt rock. Letting out the cutest yawn Jay has ever heard, Mallory stubbornly wiggled around in her baby blanket before opening her eyes, revealing the lightest blue eyes that were almost translucent.

"She has her father's eyes," Mal announced softly, watching as her little gazed at the stranger with wide eyes.

"That won't be a problem," Jay reassured, though he kept his attention on the newborn baby that didn't know what to make of him. "No one will know from eyes alone that he is her father."

"I'm more worried about her sight," the fairy insisted somewhat anxiously. "Dad said her lighter colored eyes may cause her to have bad sight as she grows older."

"By then we will hopefully be in Auradon," Jay commented optimistically. "The prince is supposed to become king in another year or so. Rumor has it the prince is debating on letting a few villain children attend Auradon Prep for a test run. The goblins claim he's thinking about four children."

"The goblins are terrible gossip," Mal reminded, careful to not sound mean or rude in front of her daughter. "They never get anything right."

"True," Jay agreed before shrugging carelessly, "but I think they are right this time. I think we'll be going to Auradon soon."

"Someone's eager to find their thief," Mal teased. "For now, you better head back to school. Lady Tremaine is supposed to come by afterwards to check on Mallory. I'll let you hold your niece after she makes sure everything is alright with her."

"Will you be fine by yourself?" Jay interrogated as he briefly looked over his shoulder to gaze at the main living area. "Where is Hades?"

"I'll be fine, but I don't know where he is," Mal claimed, her tone suggesting that she was slightly nervous about her father's whereabouts. "He said something about going to the marketplace to get groceries for my birthday dinner, but that was nearly an hour ago now. He should be back in a few minutes."

Little did the new mother know that her father was doing something more a little more risky than grocery shopping.


	7. Chapter 7

As his daughter had somewhat suspected, Hades didn't only travel to the marketplace for her birthday feast. In fact, he has yet to go for groceries since he has something more important matters to deal with.

One of them dealing with the father of his grand-daughter.

Before any of you get too worried, let me reassure you that the god didn't go hurt the pirate for no apparent reason. In fact, the immortal just wanted to have a little 'chat' with him about taking responsibility for his actions and give hm one last chance to right his wrong.

What? Can't a god have a little fun toying with the man that took advantage of his daughter? I'm sure some of you would do the same thing if you were in his position.

Alas, Hades's powers on the island were slim to none due to the magical barrier surrounding it. The god still possessed his inhuman strength, which meant he _could _rough up the pirate just a bit. However, Hades preferred the much more _subtle _approach—

Which involved slight psychological torture.

We'll get into that in a little bit.

For now, we will advert the attention to the bystanders that were staring at the god as he walked through that side of the Isle. Hades couldn't really blame them since he almost never travels through that portion of the Isle. He hardly makes his presence known on his side of the Isle since he only goes to the marketplace nearly twice a week, maybe even less.

Still, with having little to no knowledge of the sea-side town, Hades managed to find the restaurant in no time at all. Due to people talking at the marketplace a couple days prior, the god knew that Serpent Prep—the other school for students on this side of the island—wouldn't start until next week, which meant he could find his target at his usual hangout spot—

Ursula's Fish and Chips restaurant.

Walking through the swinging door, Hades snarled at the stench that welcomed him and at how unkept the restaurant was. At least at the Slop Shop, the goblins attempted to maintain the establishment for their customers. At the sea-food restaurant, the god was surprised they had any customers at all. He couldn't believe that his daughter enjoyed the food when the building was a mess.

Then again, Hades was groomed to cleanliness since he grew in Olympus. Mal, on the other hand, was raised on the 'Isle of Leftovers', so she had no problems with the dirtiness.

Hades could only hope and pray that his grand-daughter wouldn't have to be raised on the island for long.

Speaking of his grand-daughter, Hades caught sight of the bastard that took advantage of his daughter. The pirate was nonchalantly feasting on a disgusting array of food as he half-heartedly joked with the rest of the crew.

"Harry Hook!" Hades called out, effecting silencing everyone and catching the perpetrator's attention. "You and I need to have a little chat. If you value your life, don't ask questions. Follow me."

Obviously, the pirate followed the god since he was interested in why the immortal was interested in him. However, once they were in a dark alleyway, away from where anyone could witness or hear their conversation, the pirate only then realized he should have been fearing for his life.

"Do you know who I am?" Hades questioned while crossing his arms over his chest to seem more menacing than he truly was.

"You are a god," Harry answered with slight confusion in his tone. "The elder brother of Zeus."

"Wrong."

Hades leaned forward, the blue in his eyes looking like fire. "_I_," he began slowly, "am the _father_ of the teenage girl you raped nearly one year ago."

Processing the information, the pirate's face grew paler with every passing moment. "You're Mal's father?" Harry wondered rhetorically before shaking his head in denial. "I-I didn't know—"

"Know what?" Hades interrogated as he straightened to full height, towering over the pirate by nearly a foot. "That your actions would result in getting my daughter pregnant? That she would go to me for help? That my little girl would give birth to my grand-daughter on her fifteenth birthday?"

In spite of his current situation, Harry let his jaw hang slack in surprise. "She kept the baby? I thought—"

"You thought wrong," Hades interrupted in his best powerful tone. "Mallory is an innocent child that doesn't deserve to die because of your horrible actions. She looks nearly identical to her mother, and if you could have seen Mallory after she was born, you would have regret ever thinking about getting rid of her. This is your last chance."

"As I'm sure Jay has already told you, I want nothing to do with the baby," Harry reminded cautiously. "I am perfectly content with it not knowing that I was the 'sperm donor' that created it."

Hades raised an intrigued eyebrow at the pirate's wording. "I am the judger of souls," the god informed slowly so the mortal would understand him. "This is your last chance to atone for your crime."

"I don't want anything to do with it," Harry firmly insisted. "I never wanted kids and I still don't."

Hades held the mortal's gaze for a moment or two, just to see if the pirate would waver in his resolve. After a moment, the god shrugged carelessly. "Alright. I'll meet you again in Tartarus or the Field of Punishment, whichever one I see is more fitting for a coward like you."

* * *

Some time later, Hades returned to his home in the underground caves with bags of groceries. Though she had been advised against it, Mal slowly ventured out of the bedroom with her newborn baby still cradled in her arms to greet her father and asked why he was close to three hours late, since it was just pass noon. Hades made a harmless fib about the shopping taking longer than expected, but then gently instructed his daughter to rest a little longer.

Showing off her stubborn trait that she inherited from him, Mal opted to lay on the couch in the large open area. When her father suggested Mallory needed to be fed, she argued that she just finished nursing her daughter a couple minutes prior to his arrival. With her daughter laying on her chest, slowly falling into another peaceful nap, Mal softly claimed that her father couldn't get rid of her that easily.

Amused by the new mother's behavior, the new grand-father apologized for not being punctual and promised it wouldn't happen again.

Which just happened to be the honest truth.

Finally, after the day seemed to drag on, the school finally ended for the day which meant the appearance of Lady Tremaine and the very eager uncle that had been waiting all day to hold his niece. After the approval of the expert, Jay cautiously cradled the fragile life in his arms, careful not to move to much to disturb her.

"Mallory is beautiful," Jay complimented again after Lady Tremaine had left. "Maybe the next time—"

"There won't be a next time," Mal interrupted abruptly. Sighing softly at his confused reaction, she explained, "There was a complication with Mallory's birth. I won't be able to have another child if I wanted to and I don't want to. Mallory is all that I need."

"And she will be loved dearly," Hades promised from the kitchen as he made the final last-minute preparations for the birthday feast. "After all, I am going to have to spoil her since she is my baby girl's baby girl."

"Don't spoil her too much," Mal requested. "I don't her teenage years to be trouble for me."

"Especially if she's raised in Auradon," Jay reminded hopefully. "The prince—"

"Won't do anything because of his parents," Mal argued doggedly. "None of us will be going to Auradon. Not you, not me, and especially Mallory."

If only she knew on that specific day . . .

The 'prince' was hard at work because of a dream he had—

Involving a purple-haired teenager and her matching purple-haired daughter.


	8. Chapter 8

_Finally._

_After years and years of trying, his dream has finally come true. The people of the Isle of the Lost have finally been welcomed to his kingdom, Auradon. Most argued that it was impossible, but his closest Auradon friend encouraged him the entire way._

_Yet, there it was._

_A pearly white bridge connected the mainland to an island filled with prisoners who never experienced all that was available on the mainland. _

_It took some time before all that wanted to join the Auradians for the celebration. The bridge was empty of travelers, but he still felt as though someone was missing. He wasn't sure, but his heart ached with anticipation of that person's arrival._

_Suddenly, he felt a somewhat forceful pressure. Adverting his gaze to hand, he noticed someone was holding it. He lost his breath when he finally noticed the 'someone' standing next to him. _

_She had to be the most beautiful woman—though something told him she was a fairy or demigod?—he has ever seen. She put his current girlfriend's look to shame as she let her natural beauty show instead of covering it the globs of goop called makeup. Her bright green eyes—the brightest shade he has ever seen—showed her concern while gazing out at the Isle in desperation. Her vibrant natural purple hair flowed just slightly below her shoulders, showing of its uniqueness._

_He couldn't believe that he was falling deeper in lo— _

"_She'll be here soon," he suddenly promised as he lightly squeezed her hand in reassurance, though he had no idea what he was talking about. "You'll see."_

_The woman adverted her attention to him with a small smile, forcing his heart to skip a beat. "I hope you're right," she commented in an angelic tone that made him swoon. "I just miss her so much." Then, her smile turned into a smirk. "Though she probably misses you more."_

"_Maybe," he agreed, the very thought making him giddy for some odd reason. "But—"_

"_Mommy!"_

_He and the woman turned their heads to the new bridge to a little girl running toward them with a man following behind her, possibly the girl's grand-father. For some reason, he couldn't focus on the man no matter how hard tried, though there appeared to be a blue light to him, kind of like a fire._

_He couldn't look at the man much longer since his attention was forcefully adverted to the little girl jumping into the woman's arms. Once the girl was securely in her arms, the woman kissed the top of the girl's head, their matching purple hair melding together._

_Then the girl turned toward him. Her bright yet incredibly light blue eyes shined with a certain kind of glee as she outstretched her arms to him. "Daddy!"_

"Ben?"

Prince Ben, the future king, jerked awake while abruptly sitting up from his comfy bed, accidentally tossing his blanket off the bed like he was on fire. Yes, he may have been overreacting, but his dream was so vivid that he was just so surprised that it wasn't real.

Standing next to his bed was his best friend and roommate Aziz, the son of Aladdin and Jasmine. Aziz had semi-short raven hair and dark colored eyes, and a habit of stealing things for the fun of it—though he made sure to return the items within a day or so.

Aziz raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the prince's reaction and sudden erratic breathing. "You slept through your alarm," he advised slowly. "Class starts in thirty. Bad dream?"

"More like realistic," Ben corrected as he reluctantly swung his legs over the side of the bed while Aziz walked off to collect his supplies for school, doing the same for his friend so he wouldn't be late. "Ever since Halloween night last year—"

"Oh, so it's about the same girl," Aziz assumed knowingly. "The teenage girl with purple hair that you believe is on the Isle?"

"Her," Ben agreed while walking over to his closet to find something suitable to wear. "Usually the dreams are only her. This time, she had a child. The girl looked nearly identical to the mystery teenager, except her eyes."

"They weren't green?" Aziz questioned, rearranging the objects in his bag out of habit. "What were they?"

"Faint blue, nearly translucent," Ben informed while searching for his favorite button-up shirt to make him feel slightly more comfortable about starting the new school year as a freshman. "Strangest thing is before the child showed up, the teenager told me that the little girl probably missed me more. Then when she finally appeared, she called me 'daddy'."

The Sultan's son perked up at the information. "Does that give you enough evidence to break up with Audrey?" Aziz wondered hopefully.

"I wish," Ben denied as he now searched for a matching pair of dress pants. "My parents won't like me breaking up with her just because of a few dreams. I need to make sure that the mystery teen actually exists first, and probably bring her to Auradon. I want to have everything ready for her and her friends by next year, preferably a month before my coronation. It will give them time to adjust to Auradon life and show the people that they have nothing to fear."

Aziz nodded slowly, admittedly being distracted as he watched his friend remove his night shirt, revealing his bare muscular back to him. "Have I told you how grateful I am that you let me room with you to get away from Chad Fucking Charming?"

Ben chuckled as he nonchalantly continued to dress. "About every morning since you moved in last year," he answered as he was used to the routine. "Particularly every time I get dressed or undress. I will kindly remind you yet again that I am straight, not gay."

"I know that!" Aziz insisted defensively, though he kept his gaze on the expose skin that was quickly being covered by clothing. "I respect your choice very much, but am I at least allowed to enjoy the morning view?"

"We need to get you a boyfriend," Ben decided seriously. "Maybe a thief from the Isle? Someone who can match your skills in thievery and steal your personal belongings just to flirt with you."

"As I told you before, no one can match my skills," Aziz boasted confidently. "If I do end up with a guy from the Isle, I hope he has long, long hair."

"Why?"

"So I have a better grip when he goes down on me, when he's making love to me, when I'm making love to him . . ." Aziz listed off as a teasing yet dopey smirk graced his lips. "The possibilities are endless."

"Again, we need to get you a boyfriend, _fast_," Ben remarked as he grabbed his backpack from the other prince. "When we do, please refrain from doing anything sexual on my bed with him."

Aziz chuckled at the request. "I'll even warn you ahead of time, so you don't barge in," he joked before patting his friend on the back. "It's going be a very long year. I hope you can keep your beastly temper in check while you're around Audrey, at least until you get your mystery girl off the island."

Ben let out the faintest sigh as he followed his roommate out of their dorm room—

Not realizing then how important that date would one day be to him.


	9. Chapter 9

Time passed with Mal not believing how fast it went by or how fast her baby was turning into a little girl.

As previously planned, Mal would miss nearly three hours worth of classes to look after her baby girl, giving her father time for himself or if he needed to run a personal errand. Jay would occasionally skip Dr. Facilier's class, but not too often so suspicion wouldn't arise. Surprisingly, no one questioned their disappearances, especially Mal's. However, that may have to do with the fairy asking for some 'fresh air' when she returned to school since she was still feeling under the weather due to her 'strange illness'.

Mal also couldn't believe how easy it was to care for her daughter. Mallory always woke at appropriate timed in the morning, only cried when she wanted someone to hold her—which was one to two times a day—and always ate her baby food with no fuss. The only trouble had been Mallory's habit of tugging on her mother's hair, so Mal had to cut it to chin level.

It was as though the Fates awarded Mal with an angel for making the decision to keep her child, and she couldn't be more grateful.

Of course, Mal couldn't have a big celebration for her daughter's first birthday, which was also her sixteenth birthday. Even if Mal wanted to do something, she couldn't due to her mother, Maleficent.

You see, about a week prior, Mal had accidentally bumped into her mother while skipping her lunch period. The elder fairy 'requested' Mal be seen with her for a couple hours on her birthday so no one would think Mal was staying elsewhere.

A 'couple hours' turned into seven.

Although she was extremely irritated for the extended time, Mal felt just a tiny bit relieved that the 'bonding time' didn't involve her mother asking why her father was so keen on having her stay with him. The day was nearly gone when Mal finally returned to her home in the cave, which made her annoyance mold into unchecked rage.

But seeing the way her daughter lit up at her appearance made all of Mal's anger melt away like snow in the summertime.

After all, Mallory was the greatest gift Mal could ever ask for.

A few days later, Mal had finished getting ready for school and proceeded to change her daughter's diaper before dressing her. Then they walked into the living room to eat. Since they didn't have any kind of high-chair for the kitchen table, Mal opted to feed her baby girl on the floor, having no fear that Mallory would make a mess. Meanwhile, Hades was cooking his breakfast in the kitchen and something small for Mal, as per the usual routine.

Once both the mother and daughter had only a little bit of food left, Jay arrived unannounced and turned on the television set to the Auradon News Network—since he still firmly believed there would be some kind of big announcement in the near future. Mallory had just finished swallowing a bite of food when she perked up at something on the screen. "Dada!"

The three 'adults'—technically two teenagers and a god—whipped their heads to the toddler, surprised that her first word was such. When Mal gazed at the same screen, her whole body tensed up in recognition. On the news was none other than Prince Ben, who would in a couple months become 'king'—

_And _the mystery prince-king from her dream.

"No, Lory," Mal denied softly, careful to hide her tenseness. "He's not your daddy."

Either the one-year-old didn't understand or she didn't care. Mallory easily stood on her chubby feet and toddled to the television set, surprising the trio of her first steps too. "Dada!" she repeated while touching the screen, specifically where the prince was shown.

"We better go," Mal abruptly announced while cleaning up. While shouldering her bag, she swiftly turned off the electronic and scooped her daughter in her arms. "Bye, Mallory."

Kissing her daughter's cheek until she started giggling, Mal gave her over to her father before rushing out of the cave, Jay following her in confusion.

Before they could leave from the above ground entrance, Jay forced his friend to stop, interrogating, "What was that about? Why did you freak out back there?"

Knowing she couldn't avoid it, Mal admitted with a grumble, "A couple months before I gave birth to Mallory, I had a dream about a king that Mallory took a fondness to."

"So?"

"That king was Prince Ben," Mal revealed, like her friend should have come to that conclusion himself. "In the dream, Lory called him 'daddy' before jumping into his arms without a care in the world."

"That may be a good sign!" Jay reassured hopefully. "Maybe that means—"

"It means nothing," Mal argued forcefully. "We aren't going to Auradon, not together. After Lory was born, I had another dream that I would have to leave her behind."

"That won't happen," Jay promised quickly.

"You're right," Mal agreed with a sigh. "Because we are never going to Auradon."

* * *

Arriving to school nearly half an hour later, the duo heard many of their fellow classmates whisper and gossip about a new student. Some claimed it was a princess who has been castle-schooled most of her life. Mal had small suspicion on who the 'princess' could be, since the only other royal on the island was a queen that was banished ten years ago because Mal wasn't invited to the daughter's birthday party.

Honestly, Mal couldn't care less about that incident since it was so long ago. Her priorities had changed _completely _since that day.

Besides, Mal was more concerned about her first hour class, which was with the always tardy Mother Gothel. Since the beginning of the school year, the beauty-obsessed teacher has been showing up to class later and later 'til nearly half the learning period is gone. Due to that, Mal has really considered skipping the class altogether, which meant she would arrive to school a couple hours later than anyone else. Maybe if she talked to the headmaster, her father would allow her to do so. . .

Suddenly, Mal abruptly stopped outside the classroom when she saw something inside the room. "There's someone in my seat."

Slightly curious, Jay peaked inside to see an unfamiliar girl with blue hair sitting at a larger cauldron at the front of the classroom. "Must be the new student," he assumed before raising a curious eyebrow at Mal. "Are you going to cause a scene?"

"That would be too childish for someone who has a child," Mal remarked under her breath so no one else could hear her. "I'll just tell her it's my seat and we can switch on a different day. I don't need any kind of trouble."

Inhaling a breath to muster up her courage, Mal walked inside with Jay trailing behind her. The blue-haired girl was gazing down when the fairy stood in front of the to-be-disputed desk. After a moment, Mal cleared her throat to get the new-girl's attention.

Timidly, the princess raised her gaze, revealing her pretty brown eyes. Mal had to admit, the girl was gorgeous, and she could clearly tell by the way she tensed up that she was nervous and knew who the fairy was. "Hi," the teenager greeted. "I'm Evie."

"Mal," the purple-haired girl introduced before nodding at her. "You're in my seat."

"I'm so sorry!" Evie apologized with a bright smile that clearly showed her discomfort. "I had no idea it was your desk."

"Innocent mistake," Mal agreed calmly in a way to ease the princess's trouble. "In fact, I'll let you have it tomorrow. Today hasn't been going well for me and I would appreciate some familiarity to help me get through it. Sound good to you?"

Instead of waiting for a response, Mal tossed her backpack into the cauldron. Getting the message, Evie reluctantly collected her belongings and found an empty cauldron in the back of the classroom. With a slight huff, Mal rested her head on her hand in exasperation, knowing it was going to be a very long and eventful day.

* * *

After Mother Gothel's class, Mal didn't bother going to Lady Tremaine's, since the old woman knew where she would be. Spending nearly an hour on trying to get her daughter to say another world, Mal rushed back to school just in enough time to catch up with Jay—

And to catch Ginny Gothel and the Gaston twins harass Carlos—the nerdy son of Cruella de Vil—who was standing with new girl Evie. So those two became friends . . . Mal was _not _expecting that something like that would occur.

Waiting until the trio of misfits left the strange friendship duo alone, Mal approached with Jay loyally at her side. "Carlos," she greeted with a nod, though the boy flinched about her arrival. "What was that about?"

"Ginny and the twins are wanting me to host a party for them tonight," Carlos informed with slight nervousness in his voice. "I think they're planning something for the project in Tremaine's class."

Mal rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Carlos, you shouldn't let them bully you like that," she scolded motherly. "You need to stand up for yourself, or at least have Jay or I help you when we're around."

"Will you come to the party tonight then?" Carlos requested hopefully. "I know I'd feel better about having it if both of you were there."

Jay gave a sideways glance to Mal, who seemed to hesitate at the idea of attending a social event. "I don't like parties," she reminded evasively, "or crowded gatherings."

"Is it because of me?" Evie questioned softly. "Because my mother—"

"I promise you, I don't care about that," Mal insisted with a shrug. "It was just a party when we were kids; I'm over it. There . . . was another incident a couple years ago that made me hate parties. I actually want to be your friend and let the squabble between our mothers stay between them."

"Then come to the party tonight," Evie implored with a small smile. "Gives us a chance to hang out as friends."

"I'll think about it," Mal assured before quickly walking off with the thief following behind her—

Not realizing that their life on the Isle was going to get a _lot _more interesting.


	10. Chapter 10

"Go to the party tonight," Hades instructed his daughter as he leaned against the doorway, having been informed about the day's events. "There is no harm in attending for a few minutes."

"That's what I thought last time," Mal retorted as she quickly changed her daughter into a clean diaper before putting her in a night-onesie. "I ended up drunk and taken advantage of."

"That won't happen this time," the god insisted as he tilted his head curiously. "Jay will be with you the entire time. You may be a mother now, but you are still a teenager. You need to enjoy your childhood as much as you can. I can watch Mallory while you're gone."

"I can't let you do that," Mal claimed while tucking Mallory into one side of the bed—since she outgrew her crib months ago. "You've watched her too much already as it is. You need a break from her."

"And _you _need to be there for Evie," Hades argued softly so his grand-daughter could easily lull to sleep. "This is her first teenage party. She won't realize all the drinking and such that will be happening. You need to be there so what happened to you _doesn't _happen to her. Alright?"

Mal hesitated, pondering on the pros and cons of the 'social gathering'. Sighing in annoyance, she reluctantly announced, "One hour. I will stay for one hour to keep an eye on her and to make sure Carlos is comfortable with the party. If either one feels unsafe, I'll shut it down with no hesitation."

* * *

More than an hour after the party had officially started, Mal—with loyal friend Jay at her side—knocked sharply on the front door of Hell Hall. The duo could hear the music and chattering stop inside while hearing someone rush to the door. In the next moment, Carlos opened the entrance like a soldier called to attention.

"Hey, Carlos," Mal greeted with a simple nod. "Jay and I had to do a couple errands for our parents before we could come here. Are we late?"

"Not at all," Carlos denied while moving out of their way. "Come in."

"Excited to see us?" Mal wondered while allowing a faint smile to grace her lips.

He nodded yes, though the fairy could see just how nervous he truly was. Instead of reveling in his reaction, Mal decided to let him be since the teen looked like he was at least having fun.

While Jay went to compete in a dance competition, Mal circled the party for a few minutes in search of certain someone. She pilfered a wallet from one of the Gastons, though there was nothing inside. In a couple minutes she ducked underneath a pirate, who was swinging over-enthusiastically from the homemade chandelier-swing. Finally, she grabbed a mouthful of dry popcorn since it was the most edible food at the snack table.

Walking into the hallway, Mal bumped into Jay, who was slightly out of breath from winning the dance-off. "You alright?" He interrogated worriedly. "Need a moment outside to keep calm?"

"I'm fine," Mal reassured with a careless shrug. "Where'd Carlos go?"

With an amused smirk, Jay gestured toward a pair of black shoes poking out from behind a sheet covering the biggest of the bookcases. "Hiding from his own party. Typical."

Although she would never admit it, Mal knew exactly how Carlos felt. She would rather be watching her daughter sleeping peacefully next to her than be at the stupid party, but she had to keep her word.

"Where's Princess Blueberry?" Mal questioned as she kept an eye on the crowd. "I did a whole loop of this party. I didn't see her anywhere."

"You mean Evie? She's not here yet," Jay informed with a shrug of his own. "She might have gotten to nervous and decided not to come."

The teenage fairy groaned in aggravation. "She has to come! She and Carlos are the only reason I came to this party in the first place."

"What are you two doing?" asked Anthony Tremaine, Lady Tremaine's sixteen-year-old grandson, a tall, elegant boy with dark hair swept off a haughty forehead.

"Just talking," Mal retorted before Jay could say anything. "Do you want something?"

"Yes. To dance." Anthony looked at her expectantly.

She looked at him, confused. "Wait—with me?"

"Well, I didn't mean him," Anthony argued, looking awkwardly at Jay. "No offense, man."

"None taken." Jay claimed a little tensely. "But Mal can't dance with you and, in fact, she won't. Since Mal contracted her illness, she doesn't allow anyone to touch her, with the exception of me. You are just wasting your time and breath on something that is _never _going to happen."

With a clenched jaw, Anthony promptly stormed away from the fairy and thief to ask Harriet Hook for a dance, who accepted with a delighted shriek. Meanwhile, Mal adverted her attention to her friend with a happy smile. "Have I told you how grateful I am that you are my gay best friend?"

"Just once," Jay answered with a teasing smirk. "But I wouldn't mind hearing it again from time to time."

* * *

Some time later, just a few minutes before the one-hour time limit would be up, Evie finally arrived in an outfit that clearly took time to plan. Mal cautiously kept an eye on her from a distance, believing the princess deserved a few moments to enjoy the 'experience' of her first party.

However, when Mal took her eyes off Evie for a brief second, the princess was found in a predicament that made the fairy's blood boil in fury.

The Gaston twins—both drunk out of their minds from the spiked apple cider—decided to approach, innocent Evie, who had no idea what they had planned. It took barely a second for the princess to feel extremely uncomfortable by proximity of the two very muscular men. One was playing with a strand of her long blue hair while the other observed her up and down, almost like he was mentally undressing her.

Mal seen enough for her to be pissed off.

One of the twins reached out to grab Evie's ass, but didn't expect to be flipped on his back instead. The brother ogled at what happened, but found himself suddenly knocked out of breath and in a split second slammed to the ground, possibly with a broken bone or two. Meanwhile, Evie stared at the scene in awe, surprised by who her 'savior' was.

Standing over the twins was none other than Mal, who was practically seething with rage. "Don't you _ever _come near Evie again!" She demanded through a shout.

The eldest twin tried to sit up, groaning, "How—"

"I'm not just the daughter of Maleficent," Mal revealed as her green eyes shined defiantly. "I am the daughter of _Hades_, god of the Underworld! My uncle is King Zeus! King of the _Gods_! I am a _demigod_, which means I inherited incredible strength that you can _never _match. I will have no problem teaching you a lesson for harassing an innocent princess. For now, _GO!_"

While the twins scrambled to their feet and scurried out of the mansion like cowards, Mal observed the party guests around her that watched in amazement and horror. "Party's over," she announced authoritatively. "Leave, _now!_"

The fairy had to admit, she thought it was quite amusing to see so many teenagers race out of the building due to her revealing her other parentage. If she had known she would have received that type of response, Mal would have told everyone about her father sooner.

Within a couple minutes, all that remained in the mansion was an amused Jay, a scared Carlos, and a surprised Evie. "Sorry," Mal apologized insincerely, "for ruining the party. I just can't stand the idea of a girl being taken advantage of. I guess I lost my 'godly' temper."

"There's no need to apologize," Evie reassured with a kind smile. "I'm grateful you stepped in, like a friend would do."

Gazing around at the mess left by the guest, Mal awkwardly suggested, "Carlos, how about Jay, Evie, and I help you clean up? It would give us a chance to hang out as . . . friends."

With little to no arguments, the four set upon the task to clean up the mansion so the son wouldn't feel the wrath of his insane mother. Within a few minutes, the group was laughing and joking around like any kind of friends would. However, it would take a _very_ long time before Mal revealed her biggest secret to the duo.

Though none of them realized in just a couple weeks, their life would be turned upside down—

Or that a mother would reluctantly have to say 'good-bye' to her daughter for a short time.


	11. Chapter 11

"Good news," Ben announced to his best friend while closing their bedroom door behind him.

"You finally broke up with Audrey?" Aziz guessed hopefully as he looked up from doing his homework on his bed.

Of course, the future king rolled his eyes at the response, having heard so many times in the past few days. "Like I told you before, I'm not breaking up with her until the 'mystery girl' comes to Auradon."

"One day you're going to say 'good news' and it will be you two having broken up," Aziz insisted hotly. "Especially because that bitch is cheating on you! Remember? I got hold of dumbass's phone and it showed them texting one another about where they should meet up next to 'hang out' behind your back."

Ben clenched his jaw in aggravation, but not at his friend's words. "How could I forget? You and Chad got into another fight that resulted in me getting punched in the face when I tried breaking it up. I plan on playing the 'clueless' card until my Mal shows up. And at least attempt to keep your vulgar language under control. Fairy Godmother warned that she would suspend you if she hears you talking like that again."

Aziz perked up at a particular phrase. "'Mal'?" he repeated calmly, despite having a temper fit moments ago. "That's her name?"

"That's _part _of the good news," Ben agreed as he strolled over to his friend, sitting at the foot of his bed.

Opening a folder that he conveniently had in his hand, Ben rummaged through the papers to find a certain one. "I sent a letter to Professor Yen Sid asking for his recommendation on four transfer students," he explained before handing over a paper to Aziz with a small smile. "Here's your Isle thief."

Cautiously, Aziz took the file before finding him staring transfixed on the picture. The guy had tan skin with a muscular built, _long _brown hair like Aziz wanted, chocolate-colored eyes, and a smile that could make anyone fall for him. "'Jay'?" Aziz repeated curiously, not taking his eyes on the picture. "And you believe he's gay?"

"According to the professor, there was an incident where he announced that he was gay." Ben raised a cautious eyebrow at his friend. "He's the son of Jafar."

"I can live with that," Aziz insisted, forcing himself to advert his gaze to the prince. "And the other three?"

"First, here's Evie." Ben handed over information about the second transfer student. "She's the daughter of the Evil Queen, which makes her a princess. Unlike my mystery girl's natural hair color, she dyes her hair blue because her mother believes blue is a 'beautiful' color as opposed to her natural black hair."

"Audrey's not going to like another princess being at Auradon Prep," Aziz warned as he read the princess's information. "Mainly because she is the _only _princess at Auradon Prep."

"She'll have to get over it," Ben stubbornly insisted. "Evie has been castle-schooled most of her life, so the only friends she has are the ones she made a couple weeks ago at a party, which are Jay, Mal, and Carlos. Speaking of Carlos . . ."

The prince trailed off to pass off another paper. "He is the son of Cruella," he informed. "He is a very smart yet nervous kid. Yen Sid believes he doesn't belong on the island because of how frightened he is, which was created by his mother at a young age. He is scared of everything and anything and always does as he is told because he fears the repercussions. We need to do something to help him when he gets here."

"How about letting him care for Dude?" Aziz suggested helpfully. "Dude can help Carlos with his fear of dogs and his anxiety, or whatever his condition is called. We'll tell Carlos that Dude is the campus mutt instead of the campus therapy dog and tell everyone to keep quiet about that detail, so Carlos doesn't think we're pitying him."

After he finished reading the rest of the villain kid's background, Aziz set the paper carefully with the others before gazing at his friend expectantly. "Alright. Where is hers? Where is 'your Mal'?"

Trying his best not to smile, Ben held up the 'mystery' girl's information, not giving it to his friend this time. "She is the daughter of Maleficent," he revealed slowly. "She just turned sixteen about a month ago—"

"And looks exactly as you described her," Aziz claimed, as he knew his friend was beating around the bush. "You ask the professor about her having a kid? Or if her father is indeed Hades like you believe?"

"For the first question, the professor avoided it altogether," Ben summarized. "He must have thought that by not answering I would forget about it. As for Mal's father being Hades, Yen Sid claimed that he had no knowledge if that was true or not and that he didn't want to get into her personal life."

Aziz raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Yet he told you about Jay announcing he was gay to a group of villains, Carlos's anxiety issues because of his mother, and Evie dying her hair an unnatural color to please her mother."

"I was thinking the same thing, but I didn't want to push the professor too far." Ben shrugged nonchalantly. "It doesn't really matter. I'll try to figure out those questions when they arrive next week."

" 'Next week'?" Aziz repeated before a scheming smile appeared on his lips. "Need someone to help give tours? I wouldn't mind giving Jay a private one."

"Of course, you wouldn't." Ben rolled his eyes teasingly. "But I think it's best that he and Mal tour together, considering . . . you know."

Aziz nodded in understanding. "Tread lightly," he advised. "If what happened in your dream truly happened to Mal, then she may not be open to any kind of relationship or physical contact with anyone that is not her closest friend. I know I wouldn't if I was raped."


	12. Chapter 12

Upon her father's insistence, Mal spent more time hanging out with her friends on the island. For the past month, she would spend a couple hours after school causing mischief with Jay, Evie, and Carlos. On the weekends, Mal stayed home with her little to teach her new words, help her walk, things that a mother should do. It took only a few minutes for Mallory to finally say 'momma', but nearly a week to say 'Jay-Jay', or at least her best version of it. It would take some time before little Mallory could say 'Grandpa Aido', but both her mother and grand-father will be more than happy when that day comes.

On a normal Monday afternoon—after school had let out for the day—Mal was helping her friends cause just a little bit of mischief before she would head back home to her daughter. Just as the four friends were about to go their separate, a menacing shadow loomed in their path. The merchants scampered away into their shops to hide from the shadow. That meant just one thing . . .

Twirling around on her heels, Mal came face to face with two henchmen that stood nearly a foot taller than her. "Hello, Mother," Mal greeted with only slight nervousness in her tone. "Do you need something?"

The henchmen cleared the way to make room for Maleficent, who carried her infamous scepter that she never let out of sight. She narrowed her eyes slightly at her daughter. "There is news," Maleficent announced as she gazed at the group as a whole. "As I'm sure you are aware, the prince has been working for the past couple years to let the people of the Isle of the Lost travel to Auradon. With the help of Yen Sid, the prince has chosen . . ." Maleficent paused dramatically to gesture to the four children. "All of you."

Mal gawked at her mother. She just couldn't believe that it was actually happening. That she would be going to Auradon. That she would have too—

"We'll talk more in _my_ home," Maleficent claimed as she eyed the scared bystanders on the sidelines. "There is something the four of you will be doing in Auradon and it _won't_ be attending school."

* * *

"You _will_ go," Maleficent forcefully commanded the teens so they were in the safety of her apartment. "And you will steal Fairy Godmother's magic wand."

While Evie and Carlos gazed at one another, Jay kept his focus on Mal, who was not taking the idea well. Her whole body tensed up, knowing a dream was coming true. "What's in it for us?" Mal interrogated through a clenched jaw. "Why should we get the wand just for you?"

Maleficent narrowed her eyes at her rebellious daughter. "If you refuse, you'll be grounded for the rest of your life."

"You don't have full custody of me," Mal retorted knowingly. "Dad has partial custody over me too! He—"

"_Don't _raise your voice at me, young lady," Maleficent scolded sternly. "You will do as I say, not matter what your father tells you."

"But—"

Maleficent snapped her fingers to cut off Mal's protest. She stared into her daughter's eyes and Mal stared right back at her. The stare intensified as their eyes began to glow. It was a test of power and focus. Mal and her mother did this every so often when they had a disagreement. Maleficent always won.

Mal tore away her gaze. "Fine," she huffed begrudgingly. "But let me at least let me say 'bye' to Dad. All of my stuff is at his place anyways."

"Fine," Maleficent relented. "But since you told the Isle, you are not allowed to tell _anyone _in Auradon about him or else I'll have your head. Have Jay help you, so you don't take too long, but before you go . . ."

The evil fairy trailed off as she sauntered to her bookshelf, pulling out a book with a brown leathery cover, which featured a gold embossed dragon. "My spell book." Maleficent announced as she lovingly stroked the spine, her daughter instinctively stepping closer. "It has helped me so much in my time of need. It doesn't work here, but it will in Auradon. . ."

Maleficent spun to her daughter. "And now, it will help you. . ." She offered the spell book to Mal, but before Mal could take it, she snatched it away. "By doing _exactly _as I tell you." She shoved the spell book into Mal's arms. "Don't take too long with your father, Baby Girl. I'll be waiting."

* * *

Mal ran full-force to her father's secret home at the end of the miner cave with Jay trying his best to keep up. He was wanting to ask about what she planned on doing, but it was apparent that she was in no mood to talk.

Once they arrived at the home, Mal quickly told her father of the events just a few minutes prior.

"Why don't we take Mallory with us?" Jay suggested while the mother carried her little girl on her hip as she packed her bags. "The Auradonians—"

"Will use her to punish me if our plan to take the wand fails," Mal assumed knowingly as she rushed around, careful to not shake her daughter in the process. "They would take Mallory from me and give her to some family that would treat her like dirt because she's the grand-daughter of Maleficent."

"You don't know if they would do that," Jay argued, stepping in to help so she wouldn't take as long.

"And you don't know that they won't," Mal retorted as she zipped up one of her bags with one hand. "Our best option right now is to leave Mallory with Dad. When we take down the barrier for good, then I'll tell everyone about Mallory."

"I'll take good care of her," Hades promised softly from the bedroom doorway. "I'll try to keep you updated on Mallory every day while you're in Auradon."

"Hopefully it won't be long," Mal commented sadly.

Once the dreadful task was completely finished, the mother turned her daughter in her arms, so they were face to face. "I love you, Mallory," Mal cooed with so much affection in her tone that it was obvious that she didn't want to leave her behind. "I promise, I will come back to you. We won't be apart for long."

As though she sensed her mother's sadness, Mallory leaned forward and kissed her mother's forehead, just like Mal would do for her. Hades would do the very same to Mal and, at one time, claimed that a forehead kiss meant protection, love, and that they wished no harm would ever come to them—

Which made Mal more determined than ever to steal the magic wand.

Her baby girl's life depended on it.


	13. Chapter 13

Mal and Jay arrived back at Maleficent's apartment in just enough time to see a black stretch limo park outside. Villagers crowded around it curiously since it looked so out of place from their poor excuse of a town. The best-friends managed to catch up with Carlos and Evie just as they walked outside the building, looking so happy to be going to a place filled with strangers.

The chauffeur reluctantly took the teenager's luggage—Jay's carpet-bag that his father packed for him, Evie's abnormally large suitcase and sewing machine, and Carlo's big black trash bag—and loaded it into the trunk for the travel. When Mal handed the driver her bag, he carelessly tossed it in and slammed the trunk shut

Before entering the vehicle, Mal gazed up at the balcony in hopes that her mother would change her mind at the last second. Instead, Maleficent gave her a warning sign that she would have her eyes on Mal. Not doubting it, Mal slowly nodded as she grudgingly entered the vehicle—

Silently praying to her uncles that she would be reunited with her daughter soon.

The three remaining parents waved to their children as the limo began to move. On the streets, the villagers watched as the pristine vehicle cruised away. Some were admittedly envious that _they _weren't chosen to go to Auradon.

But that will be resolved in a few years.

While her friends trashed the inside of the spotless limo, Mal gazed out the window mysteriously. She didn't care about all the candy she's never seen before since her little girl wasn't with her. Maybe she should have brought her . . .

Mal shook her head stubbornly to rid herself of the thought. No, this was the best option to keep her Mallory safe. If things go south, then maybe Mal could use her daughter as an excuse to receive a lesser punishment . . .

Mal's 'brain-storming' session was abruptly interrupted something rough brushed against the corner of her eye. "You're looking a little washed out," Evie insisted with a makeup brush dangerously close to Mal's eye again. "Let me help you out."

"Stop!" Mal demanded, batting the princess's hand as she scooted as far away as she could in the ironically cramped back seat. "I'm plotting."

"Well." Evie paused a moment to straighten in her seat. "It's not very attractive."

As the blue-haired princess gnawed on a matching blue rock candy, Jay adverted his gaze to his longest friend, who looked very uncomfortable at the moment. "Mal," he called, successfully getting her attention. "We'll get it. We _will_ be back."

Mal sighed to release some of her anguish. "I hope it's soon."

* * *

In a time that felt like centuries, the chauffeur drove the limousine into the overly-bright kingdom of Auradon; cruising through the campus of a preparatory school that was clearly out the Isle children's league. A group of students in blue-and-gold uniforms stood outside an impressively large building, waving welcome flags as a marching band played their 'welcoming' performance.

Parking the vehicle by the entrance, the driver opened the door with Mal bursting through and Jay following quickly behind her just in case he needed to calm her down. As mentioned before, the fairy has a thing about people being in her personal space due to the incident. The only person she allows to touch her is her father, her daughter, and Jay.

You'll be reminded of that shortly.

As the rest of their 'crew' exited the vehicle, the band dribbled to a wheezing stop while the students backed away warily. Barely a moment passed before the band parted for a smiling woman with her arms stretched out in greeting, a teenage girl dressed in some of her finest clothing for the occasion, and a teenage boy that couldn't be described in any words that would give him justice for how handsome he was. It was obvious that two teenagers were a couple since the young lady had her arm around the gentleman's.

For some reason, Mal felt her little glimmer of hope fade away from seeing that action. Of course, he would be taken by some kind of princess. After all, he is Prince—

"Welcome to Auradon," the woman greeted, knowing Mal out of her daze. "I'm Fairy Godmother. Headmistress of Auradon Prep."

"I'm Ben," the young man informed the group as he stepped forward, breaking his connection with the girl. "I'm so grateful that I finally get to meet all of you. I've been officially working on this proclamation for over two years—"

"Benny-boo!" The young woman interrupted with a possessive tone to her voice. "You forgot to tell them you're a prince! Soon to be king!"

"I'm royalty too." Evie commented before the prince could say anything. Strolling forward with a dazzling smile, she claimed, "My mother's a queen, which make me a princess." Evie then bowed so perfectly that it was no question that she was raised to be a princess.

"The Evil Queen has no royal status here," the teenage girl denied. "And neither do you."

"Evie is the step-sister of Queen Snow White, Audrey," Ben reminded with a certain type of sternness in his voice that he never uses. "In fact, I spoke with her majesty about this issue and she is more than willing to give Evie the title of 'Princess of Charmington' so her royal status remains. That means you will have to get over the fact that you are _not _the only princess in Auradon Prep."

Ben paused a moment to gaze at the blue-haired girl in question. "That is, if it is alright with you, of course. I don't want to put you in a position that would make things hostile between you and your mother."

"We'll be fine," Evie reassured with a kind smile. "I would really appreciate it if you can do that."

"For now, Ben and Audrey will show you around," Fairy Godmother insisted before Audrey could ruin the moment. "I will see all of you tomorrow morning for class. Be sure to be in your rooms by curfew."

The headmistress offered a welcoming smile before entering the school building. The marching band trailed after her while the remaining students dispersed to go about their usual activities.

Once it was only six of them remaining, Ben smiled at the four transfer students. "As I said before, it is very nice to finally meet you."

The prince reached a hand out toward Mal, who instinctively jumped backwards before he could touch her. Jay partially stepped in front of the fairy to block Ben in his path. "You can't touch Mal," Jay warned with a soft glare. "Because of something that happened to her on the Isle, she doesn't like anyone being in her personal space. She barely makes an exception for me."

"Oh!" Ben exclaimed, almost like he already knew something like that would happen. "Then how about this?"

Take a step backwards, Ben over-dramatically bowed to Mal. Finding the action amusing, Mal over-dramatically curtsied in return. Once the duo stood back to full height, they couldn't help laughing at their little exchange, while the fairy's friends tried their hardest not to smile at their friend's carefree attitude at the moment.

"And I would like to apologize about my outburst earlier," Ben continued once he regained his composure. "I wanted to take every precaution to make sure all of you are treated fairly, which include royal status being in tack. The four of you being here is like a trial run for when I permanently remove the barrier."

Mal perked up at the announcement, though she did manage to see Audrey look at her boyfriend incredulously. "You want to remove the barrier?" Mal questioned rhetorically. "When? _Why_?"

"It won't be for some time, since it will take time to do so," Ben commented before the 'Core Four' could get their hopes up. "As for why, over a year ago I had a dream that it would be taken down. It was so realistic that when I woke up, I wished it had come true. I decided I would try to make that dream a reality."

Ben adverted his whole attention to Mal, giving her a smile that made her believe that he knew _something_. "My favorite part is what happens after the barrier is down," he revealed as his smile grew. "I won't tell you what does occur, since it wouldn't come true if I did. I don't want to risk that."

"Anyways!" Ben clapped his hands together abruptly, breaking the atmosphere he had created. "Let's take a tour. I'm sure you're exhausted from the car ride, so I'll make this as quick as possible."

* * *

For the next few minutes, Ben shared facts about the school and its history as the transfer students followed behind him. Before the tour had started, Audrey tried to entwine her arm with the prince's, but he had moved away before she could fully make the connection. The Core Four noticed the look of frustration on the princess's face, wondering if there was some kind of falling out between the 'couple'.

As soon as the six of them arrived at the gardens, a teenager with short raven hair started jogging toward them. Ben smiled as the person came closer. "Hey, Aziz."

Aziz abruptly stopped barely a foot away from his friend. "We have a problem," he announced, going straight to the point. "I can't find Dude anywhere. No one has seen him."

"Don't worry about it. We'll do _that_ another day then," Ben reassured before adverting his attention to the transfer students. "Guys, this is my roommate and best friend, Aziz."

"_Gay _best friend," Aziz corrected teasingly. "How could you forget a detail like that?"

For certain reasons, Jay perked up at the correction, but Mal was the one to ask for reassurance, "You're gay?"

Aziz shrugged carelessly. "Have been for quite a while. My previous roommate, before Ben so graciously gave up his private room, found out about my sexuality while I was keeping it secret and decided to tell the whole school. Needless to say, the bastard doesn't like me, so we fight nearly every time that we are together."

"Aziz," Ben scolded while the two princesses visible flinched at the foul language. "At least attempt to control your mouth. I had to stick my neck out for you, so Fairy Godmother didn't expel you last Friday for it."

"Being expelled for vulgar language is over-dramatic," Aziz insisted with a roll of his eyes. "You can't really blame me since I was raised in Agrabah. Just from the palace courtyard you can hear the merchants cursing one another for lowering their prices to get more sales."

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Ben interrogated with fake interest, sounding rude to the Core Four even though it was part of their playful banter. "Like cleaning the Tourney equipment and jerseys for your punishment?"

"You just want me gone so I can miss my evening view again," Aziz accused, yet he had a teasing smile on his lips. "Well that won't happen this time!"

Giving a wave to three of the four, Aziz gave Jay a firm hand-shake, causing their best friends to subtly smirk at the exchange since they knew something more was happening 'behind-the-scenes'. Still having a grip on the newbie's hand, Aziz brazenly informed, "You know, if you want me to give you a _private _tour later, you don't have to ask."

Jay scoffed as he broke the hand-hold, a small, unwanted blush forming because of the teenager's shameless attitude. His friends snickered at his reaction, knowing he would probably take the offer in a couple days.

"Aziz!" Ben chided as his friend started walking off. "Try to find yourself a boyfriend while you're gone!"

Turning around to face the group, Aziz started walking backwards to give his reply. "I think I just did!" He locked eyes with Jay, smirking as he claimed, "But I think he's going to play hard to get."

* * *

Soon after that _little_ exchange, the group finally entered the extravagant building where they were greeted by a cozy fireplace, dark wood staircases, chandeliers, and stained-glass windows that made the place feel warm and sunny.

"So does Auradon still have magic?" Mal interrogated as they stopped at the far end of the room, trying to not act suspicious to cover her real intent. "Like spells, potions, wands . . ."

"It does exist, but it's almost never used now," Ben informed in a tone that showed his dislike about that fact. "There are restrictions on magic since not everyone can perform it. Most of use are ordinary mortals now."

"Who happen to be kings and queens," Mal reminded nonchalantly.

"That's true!" Audrey exclaimed snootily, draping Ben's arm over her shoulder with her next statement. "Our royal blood goes back hundreds of years."

To save himself from his 'girlfriend's' protective attitude, Ben called out to a teenage boy carrying a clipboard on the upper floor of the building. "Doug!" Ben shouted as he walked toward the staircase, away from Audrey, who was subtly fuming at his rude action. "Can you come down here a moment?"

Doug, a blonde-haired band-member with glasses, hurried down the stairs to join the prince and the rest of the tour group. "This is Doug," Ben introduced to the transfer students. "He helped create your class schedules. He will be showing you to your dorms."

The prince adverted his attention solely on Mal. "I'll see you later, okay?" Ben reassured to which Mal nodded without realizing. "If need _anything_, feel free to—"

"Ask Doug," Audrey interrupted.

"_Or _myself and Aziz," Ben continued, despite the princess's attempt to end it. "I promise, Aziz does mean well. He just acts like a flirt to show that he is proud that he's gay."

"Same reason as mine," Jay mumbled under his breath.

"I'll be sure to tell him that," Ben teased good-naturedly. "I'll see you tomorrow."


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry for taking so long to update. I just became really depressed one day because of all the junk that's going around and I would definitely appreciate it if no reviews mention it because of this comment.**

**Also I am trying to refrain from posting author's notes at the beginning of the chapter—as this is only the second one out of fourteen chapters—so that the word length is a little more genuine. There may be some more here and there, but not every single chapter.**

**Anyways: The main thing I wanted to tell you is about the events involving Aziz and Jay. The ideas I had planned for 'Behind the Façade' will be in this story from this chapter onward. As I started thinking of ideas for this story, ideas from that story sort of melded with this one. For every idea that someone is able to identify, I will increase the length to 3000 words for the next chapter **_**or **_**post two chapters on the same day.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"You look terrible."

Mal jumped at the voice behind her, not expecting to hear it so early in the morning. After all, it was only a few minutes before seven and there was no sign of life in the hallways. Used to an early morning schedule, Mal was already up and ready for the day by six. Wanting to let the princess continue with her 'beauty sleep' after their failed heist last night at the museum, the fairy snuck out of their shared room to get some 'fresh air'.

Turning so her back was facing her locker, Mal glared softly at the thief that insulted her. "What do you expect?" She retorted quietly. "It was the first night without my little girl since she was born. I couldn't sleep because I was so used to Mallory sleeping next to me. I tossed and turned for hours before I finally gave up."

"Why don't you try hugging a pillow while in bed?" Jay suggested helpfully as he leaned against the locker next to hers. "It will trick your mind into thinking that you're holding her."

Mal scoffed at the 'ridiculous' idea. "It's not that easy."

"Maybe if you have this . . ."

Jay trailed off a moment to reveal a polaroid picture he pulled out of thin air. It was a simple, yet relatively new photograph of Mallory just sitting on her grandfather's couch, smiling like there was nothing wrong in the world. Mal gingerly took the picture, afraid it would disintegrate in her hands.

"You left the cave before he could give you it," Jay informed with a shrug. "I couldn't find the right time to give it to you, especially because of our failed heist last night. If anyone sees you with it, you can say it's a baby picture of you since you two look identical."

"Except for the eyes," Mal reminded sadly. Placing the precious item in her pocket for safe keeping, the fairy smiled mischievously at the thief. "What about you? I never got the chance to ask what you stole from your not-so-secret admirer."

Chuckling softly at the phrase, Jay 'magically' produced a gold bracelet that could cover a forearm. "Just this," he claimed as he twirled the jewelry in his hand. "He had it hiding under his long shirt sleeve. I'm surprised he didn't notice."

"He did."

Flinching at the unexpected voice, Jay turned around to come face to face with Aziz, who was smiling at how he was able to surprise the new kid. Jay found himself unable to contain his own smile, not noticing that his fairy friend snuck away from them. "Am I in trouble?"

"Only because you were caught," Aziz teased as his smile grew. "Seems like you were so distracted by my good looks that I didn't get caught."

The 'Auradon Kid' pulled off a black ring from his finger, which was in the shape of a coiled snake. "Your father's ring," Aziz informed while tossing it in the air, Jay having caught it. "I had to ask my parents just to be sure."

"Actually, this one belonged to my aunt," Jay revealed as he placed it on his own finger. "She was my father's twin and had matching rings. When she passed away—long before I was born—my father decided to wear both rings in a way to remember her. My father discovered that I was gay when I was about thirteen, I was scared what he would do. I was surprised when he gave me his sister's ring and that he was proud of me no matter what."

"I'm surprised you didn't noti—"

"I did but planned on getting it from you later." Jay shrugged carelessly as he handed over the gold bracelet that was still in his possession. "And what kind of family heirloom did I take from you?"

"My grandmother's bracelet," Aziz answered as he placed the jewelry on his forearm and covered it with his long-sleeved shirt again. "My story is similar to yours. Belonged to my mom's mother, who passed away when my mother was still a child. I just admired it so much as a child that I had asked to wear it, but she insisted that it was only for a girl. When I was about thirteen too, I told my parents I was gay because I was about to attend Auradon Prep and thought they deserved to know before I left. As a 'parting gift', my mother gifted me the bracelet because she was proud of me."

Jay raised an eyebrow in amusement. "The son of Aladdin and Jasmine is wearing feminine jewelry?"

"Says the son of Jafar that's wearing his aunt's ring," Aziz teased, finding himself grateful that his 'crush' didn't freak out about his parents. "Your father taught you to be a thief?"

"Best on the Isle," Jay bragged confidently. "And you?"

"Best in Agrabah and possibly Auradon," Aziz insisted with a smile. "Even better than my father. There was a time or two that people blamed me for stealing something of theirs, but I was able to place it back on them before I could actually get caught."

"I'm impressed."

"You'd be more impressed if you agree to the private tour," Aziz boasted in the same shameless demeanor as yesterday. "You won't regret it."

Just like yesterday, Jay scoffed at the suggestion. "I barely know you for a day, yet you're asking me to sleep with you? Don't you think you're moving a little fast?"

"I admit I'm a little forward," Aziz with a small smile. "To be fair, I've been waiting for you for nearly a year. Ben always teased me about how I needed to find an Isle thief."

"Mal teased me for two years about how I deserved an 'Auradon thief'," Jay confessed with a careless shrug. "I never thought there would actually _be _a thief in Auradon, let alone one that would be gay."

"Does that mean you'll take me up on my offer?" Aziz wondered hopefully. "Or maybe go on a few dates with me?"

Pondering on the idea for a moment or two, Jay sighed in feign reluctance. "One date. If it goes well, then I _might _go on another."

"Awesome!" Aziz cheered excitedly. "I'll tell you when and where after our Tourney practice."

* * *

After a grueling hour of having Fairy Godmother treating him and his friends like babies instead of teenagers and getting into a playful wrestling fight with Carlos over saying an answer first, Jay found himself in the middle of a green pasture called a 'Tourney Field' which was located just outside the school. For some reason there were two cannons at what was called the fifty-yard that appeared to shoot balls across the width of it.

With the multitudes of pads, bucklers, and tourney helmets weighing him down, Jay wondered just how physical the sport truly got. It felt like they were suiting him up for battle or war.

Coach Jenkins blew his whistle to get the player's attention. "Joker is shooter and King is offense," he began to instruct, making sense to everyone but the 'Lost Boys'. "Jay, offense. Chad, you're defense."

Still completely confused and recognizing no one in their get up, Jay walked over to the field and hoped he could somehow understand the game quickly.

And honestly, the next few minutes were a complete blur.

All Jay could remember was knocking a few players as he went for the ball. He vaguely recalled Carlos pleading for him before Jay trampled over him. With no one in his path, Jay shot the ball in the net. He felt proud of his achievement, until he realized no one else was celebrating with him.

"You!" Coach Jenkins shouted over the groaning and injured players while gesturing to Jay. "Get over here!"

Jay jogged over to the coach with the rest of his teammates following him. While the Isle thief remained standing, everyone collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. Well, except for Aziz, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

"Nice job, kid," Coach Jenkins complimented as he patted Jay on the shoulder. "I haven't seen anyone move like that since Joker's try-out three years ago. Welcome to the team!"

Then, the coach adverted his attention to Carlos with a reluctant sigh. "Ever thought of band?"

"I can work with him, Coach," Ben volunteered quickly. "And Aziz can help Jay go over the rulebook for you."

Coach Jenkins pondered on the idea before interrogating, "Joker, what do you have next hour?"

"Free period," Aziz answered just as quickly, perhaps getting a little too eager about the alone time with the Lost Boy. "I don't have anything again until fourth period."

"Perfect," Jenkins commented. "I'll have Jay excused from his class so he can help you with your punishment this week and go over the rulebook afterwards. You do a good enough job by the time I review with him on Friday afternoon, I will bail you out the next time you're in trouble."

"Deal!" Aziz exclaimed cheerfully.

Although everything seemed to be perfect at the moment, a blonde-haired prince scoffed, "You're letting the freak teach the other freak?"

A flare of anger over-came the Auradon thief as he lunged at the insulter. Jay barely managed to grab hold of his 'admirer' before he could severely hurt the unknown man. "You fight, no date," Jay mumbled in the hostile party's ear.

Grumbling bitterly at the 'ultimatum', Aziz trudged back to the cannons to keep himself from getting to an altercation with the pig-headed teenager.

He did _not _want to lose his chances with his thief.

* * *

After running through a couple plays that Jay still had no idea what to do, coach ended practice early to give all the injured players time to relax before their next class period. Since Jay was able to help Aziz with his 'chore', the two thieves managed to get everything sorted and clean in record time. In fact, just a few minutes before they would have originally got out of class, the two found them sitting on the bleachers to begin the Isle thief's training.

"So why does the coach call you 'Joker'?" Jay wondered before they could actually start going over the rules.

"First, do you guys play cards on the island?" When the other teenager nodded in confirmation, Aziz explained, "You see, Coach likes to play cards almost as much as he likes to coach Tourney. In some card games, the Joker can be used to replace a card that's needed for a hand. He calls me 'Joker' because I can fill any and every position on the field. He calls Ben 'King'—"

"Because he's literally going to be king?" Jay joked.

"Because he's _captain _of the team," Aziz corrected with a smile. "He will probably call you 'Ace' since you will be ace in winning the game."

Jay rolled his eyes at the poor phrasing. "What about Carlos? Coach gonna call him anything?"

"Maybe 'Jack' if he improves enough," Aziz suggested with a shrug. "The Jack is kind of the underdog of high cards because nobody expects much from it, until it surprises you with a winning hand. The team took turns playing the game 'Twenty-One' with Coach, he almost always won with the Jack-Ace combo. He believes those cards together are the best way to win because an 'underdog' is what's needed to help the 'champion' win."

"If I had to bet," Aziz began as a smirk formed on his face, "at the game next week, he's going to wait till the end to put you and Carlos in together so you can team up to score the winning goal."

Jay nodded absentmindedly, having been momentarily distracted something. Aziz noticed immediately and tilted his head curiously. "What?"

Instead of giving a verbal answer, Jay slowly leaned forward as he placed a cautious hand on Aziz's cheek. The prince was practically on the brim of exploding from pure happiness as their faces were mere inches from each other. When their lips were about to touch—

A phone rang, breaking the surreal moment between them.

"Unbelievable," Aziz muttered sulkily, causing the other teen to snicker at his impatient behavior.

Reluctantly pulling way from a moment that he didn't want to end, Aziz checked the message with a raised eyebrow. "It's from Ben," he informed with slight confusion, "but it's for you. He says Mal needs you, but doesn't know why. He thinks it has something to do with her gym class this last hour."

"I better check on her," Jay insisted, before quickly promising, "but we will finish this later."

Standing on his feet, the thief bolted down the bleachers to find the fairy—

Who was missing the other half of her dragon-heart.


	15. Chapter 15

Mal's day melded into a never-ending roller coaster, yet it was only the passing hour before third period.

After a restless night, her morning became happier when she received a picture of her little girl from her best friend. Seeing her baby girl with her carefree smile made her lack of sleep unnoticeable to herself and everyone else. The morning slowly traveled downhill during 'Remedial Goodness' class, which was where the headmistress spoke to the Core Four as though they were misbehaving toddlers that didn't know no better.

The first hour class picked up momentum only when Fairy Godmother's daughter, Jane, entered the classroom to have her sign something for Prince Ben's coronation. Gears started whirling in Mal's mind about potentially using the shy, timid girl to steal the wand. However . . . the fairy believed that would be the _obvious _plan, but she wouldn't necessarily out-rule it just yet.

The incline leveled out right before Mal's next class period, which was physical education. A royal messenger from the Auradon barges found Mal in the hallway and delivered a letter from an 'unknown' sender, who happened to be her father. The morning went back to a downhill slope when Mal read her father's update of her little girl, since it was causing her to miss her Mallory even more.

Then, the roller coaster slammed into an unexpected obstacle when she changed into work-out clothes for gym. First time, Mal waited until the other girls had left so they wouldn't notice a 'little' detail about her body. Changing back into normal clothing at the end of the hour, the fairy forgot about her 'detail' since she was so exhausted from sleep deprivation and the physical activities she was forced to endure. One of her classmates noticed the 'detail' in a split second, so Mal quickly made up a fib that the girls easily believed—

Though the lie only broke Mal's dragon-heart even worse than her father's letter.

Evie—having become her second best-friend in the matter of weeks—noticed the fairy's odd behavior and suspected something was wrong, but her friend wouldn't budge.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Evie questioned quietly as she stood next to Mal at their lockers. "I can go look for Jay if you need him. He would know what to do to help you more than I could."

"I'll be fine, E," Mal reassured terribly, as her breathing sounded like she was on the verge of breaking down in tears. "I just miss my dad. Once I get some fresh air, I'll be fine."

Although she didn't appear too convinced, Evie headed off to her new Chemistry class in hopes of finding a prince. Meanwhile, as Mal pilfered through her locker to distract herself, she couldn't help overhearing the sound of loud, obnoxious laughter from the other end of the corridor. Mal peered around her locker door to see Audrey and Chad coming around the corner with Ben reluctantly following behind them, almost like he wanted nothing to do with them.

The selfish princess's and brainless prince's laughter died off when they caught a glimpse of Mal. Chad erratically tapped Ben's arm to get his attention. "Those kids are trouble," Chad accused as he rudely pointed at Mal, referring to her friends in general. "They are nothing but freaks! Just like that _tapette_!"

"Watch how you speak of Aziz," Ben warned with an underlying growl in his tone. "In case you somehow forgot, he is my best friend. You need to show him and the island children some respect."

"Ugh!" Audrey snarled her nose in disgust before taking Ben's hands in hers. "No offense, Benny-boo, but you're just too trusting!"

Ben glanced between the princess and the other prince with them. "No kidding," he mumbled under his breath, but neither one seemed to hear him.

"—I know your mom fell in love with a big nasty beast who turned out to be a prince," Audrey continued selfishly. "But with _my_ mom', the evil fairy was _just_ the evil fairy. That girl's mother."

"You're wrong about Mal," Ben argued confidently before turning his head slightly to glare at Chad. "And _you _are wrong about her friends and Aziz. If I hear or see you disrespect _any _single one of them, I will make you regret ever setting eyes on them."

Without another word, Ben brushed past the duo to approach the 'sickly' fairy. Audrey sighed in frustration before twirling on her heals to head toward the direction she just came from. Clearly dumbstruck by the whole conversation, Chad trailed after the princess in hopes that she would want to 'relieve' some of her stress again.

As Mal shut her locker, she came face to face with Ben, who maintained a respectful distance between them. "Hey," he greeted with a modest smile. "How's your first day so far?"

"Super," she answered sarcastically, though unable to hide the quiver in her voice.

Ben raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Are you alright?" he wondered concerningly. "You sound . . . broken. Would you like me to do something to help? I can do or get anything you need."

"Umm . . ." Mal trailed off as she contemplated on whether or not she should seek assistance for her dilemma. After a moment, she claimed, "I-I'd feel better if I spoke with Jay. Do you know where he is?"

"Aziz is going over the rule-book with him on the Tourney field," Ben answered while leaning against the locker wall. "I can text Aziz if you'd like; have him tell Jay that you need him."

"If you don't mind," Mal requested as she became momentarily distracted by the frightful Jane, who tried to avoid eye-contact with the fairy. "I-I'm going to talk with Jane first; try to be friends. Can you have him meet me at the gardens out front? And—"

"I'll cover for you with your class," Ben promised with a small, reassuring smile. "If you need anything else—anything at _all_—just let me know."

"Thank you."

Without a second thought—or perhaps without realizing what she was doing-Mal leaned up on her tip-toes and placed a simple kiss on Ben's cheek to show her gratitude. To hide her blush that was forming on her cheeks, the fairy spun around with her spell book under her arm and followed Jane into the restroom.

After all, the sooner Mal stole the magic wand, the sooner she could be reunited with her baby girl.

* * *

The conversation with Jane ended fairly well with Mal somehow able to keep her emotions under control. Mal spelled the young girl's hair to make it long and luscious. In return, Mal would be allowed to the magic wand in action _if _Jane could convince.

Soon after, Mal headed to the gardens at the front of the school, which was where they took the tour the day prior. The fairy had no worries about anyone eavesdropping on their conversation since everyone would be in class.

Or at least they should have been.

As soon as Mal entered the gardens, Jay was already waiting for expectantly. "What happened?" the thief interrogated, going straight to the point. "Someone get too close to you?"

Mal shook her head in denial, slowly letting all of her emotions become exposed. "First, I got a letter from Dad," she revealed as her shoulders slumped in depression. "Apparently, when Mallory woke from her nap, she searched for me in the cave and started calling for me when she couldn't find me."

Jay raised an eyebrow in uncertainty. "That can't be the only thing that made you so frazzled," he insisted. "What happened in gym?"

"How did you—?"

"Ben thought that's what made you upset," Jay quickly explained to get the conversation moving. "You want to tell me or do you need space?"

Once again, Mal shook her stubbornly. "When I was changing into my normal clothes, someone noticed my stretchmarks," she revealed with a sniffle. "I could tell they were going to assume that it was from pregnancy, but I lied. I told them the marks were created when I rapidly lost weight. I felt so sick to my stomach _lying _when it was really giving birth to my baby girl that created them. I miss my baby!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Jay gently grabbed Mal's face so he would look at her. "I miss her too, but we will see her soon. Once we take the wand—"

"_If _we get the wand," Mal retorted glumly.

"_When _we get the wand," Jay corrected stubbornly, "we will bring down the barrier. You and her will be together again and will be able to live a life without worrying about anything else. I promise."

Overwhelmed with emotions, Mal laid her forehead on her friend's shoulder as she sobbed into him to get rid of her pain.

Not knowing that a certain prince was listening the entire time.


	16. Chapter 16

"Mallory."

Placing a marker on the spot he was at in his textbook, Aziz adverted his gaze to his roommate, who had locked the door behind him as a precaution. Aziz raised a curious eyebrow as his friend paced the length of their room. "Mallory who?"

"Mal's daughter," Ben claimed as he tried to collect his thoughts with his rapid walking. "That's her name: Mallory."

Jaw dropping at the revelation, Aziz tossed his history book aside to keep his focus on the soon-to-be king. Sitting up to full attention, the thief questioned, "Are you sure? How do you know?"

"I eased-dropped on her conversation with Jay earlier this morning," Ben admitted with no remorse in his tone. "She said, 'I miss my baby'."

"Is that what made her so upset?" Aziz assumed, leaning forward in interest.

"And the fact that she had to lie about how she obtained her stretchmarks," Ben added as he plopped down at the foot of his bed. "That happened in her gym class like I suspected. She made up some excuse about how she lost weight quickly. I am a hundred percent sure that it was her pregnancy."

"Why is Mal keeping Mallory a secret?" Aziz wondered as he continued with the interrogation. "She could have brought her daughter to Auradon with no fear."

"Actually . . . she does have something to fear," Ben revealed with a soft sigh. "Apparently, the only reason any of the four came to Auradon was so they could steal the Fairy Godmother's magic wand to bring down the barrier over the Isle. I'm thinking—after knowing about traveling to this kingdom for probably less than half an hour—Mal believed that the four of them would potentially fail in their plot and didn't want Mallory to be used against her for her punishment. I bet Mal believed she would have Mallory taken away from her and didn't want to risk it."

"That wouldn't have happened!" Aziz exclaimed defensively. Then, his demeanor changed to slight worry. "So, what are we going to do about them planning on taking the wand? I mean, Jay almost kissed me earlier before you texted. Because of all this, I don't know if he is using me for their plan or if he does like me."

"Jay _clearly_ likes you," Ben reassured with a confident smile. "Why else would he steal your grandmother's bracelet and return it with no complaints? You'll probably have your first kiss with him tomorrow."

Chuckling at his friend's optimistic attitude, Aziz asked, "What about you? What are you going to do with Mal?_ When _are you going to break up with Audrey so you can be with her?"

"Soon," Ben promised a little too quickly. "First, I want to do something to help Mal with her missing her child so much. Family day is coming up soon so maybe I can set up a video chat for her? Have one set up for all of the 'Core Four', as they called themselves, so no other Auradonian can get suspicious of my intentions."

"But does Mal's mother know about Mallory?" Aziz questioned realistically. "Does _anyone _on the Isle know about her? You said she only asked for Jay when Evie was with her moments before. Does that mean he's the only that knows?"

"I don't think so," Ben argued as he tried to go through the logistics of the situation. "Jay wouldn't know how to deliver a child at fifteen, assuming that Mallory is about one now. Lady Tremaine most likely delivered Mallory since she is the oldest female on the island and probably has grandchildren of her own. I don't see Maleficent hiding a child from the world, considering in her own tale the baby she cursed was hidden from the world. That would be too ironic and she would refuse to do so because of it, which means Maleficent may not know about her grand-daughter. So where would she. . ."

Trailing off in thought, a light-bulb went off in Ben's idea as the pieces of the mysterious puzzle came together. "Mal's father!"

"Hades?" Aziz clarified for those who forgot in this tale. "But you aren't even sure if he's truly her father. Professor Yen Sid refused to tell you and Mal has made no signs indicating that her father is that god."

"I think Mal's hair is enough," Ben joked in a small attempt to ease the slight tension in the room. "Her hair is freakin—"

"Just say 'fucking'," Aziz interrupted with a teasing eyebrow wag. "You know you want to. Your beast isn't going to come out because of one silly curse word."

Ben rolled his eyes at his friend's playful attitude. "_Fucking_," he pronounced dramatically, much to the amusement of the thief, "purple. Purple is made from blue and red. Who else do you know has hair that changes from blue to red depending on their mood?"

Aziz contemplated on the question for a few moments to think of an answer. "Just Hades," he agreed. "But why—?"

"I say a messy split or divorce between him and Maleficent," Ben assumed correctly. "Maleficent might not have wanted anyone to know her 'fling' with the god so she forbade Mal from telling anyone. When Mal became pregnant, she probably feared her mother would harm her innocent baby and went to her father for help. Hades may have Mallory hidden in his ca—home."

Aziz raised an eyebrow at his friend's stutter. "Is this just an idea or another realistic dream?"

"Dream," Ben answered with a careless shrug. "It was like I said before: Mal feared her mother would hurt her baby and went to her father for help. He asked if she wanted to keep the baby and she said 'yes' because she was an innocent child created by unfortunate circumstances."

If possible, Aziz's eyebrow raised even higher, but this time it was in concern. "So that really happened?" the thief deduced sadly. "Her being—"

"_Don't_ say it," Ben growled against his will. "Every time I _think _about what happened to her, my beast wants to take over to make that person pay for what he did to her. Since I have no fucking idea who the guy is, the beast is just wallowing in anger, _waiting _to come out to make the abuser pay."

Despite the prince's temper being flared, Aziz couldn't help chuckling. "You cursed on your own! I'm so proud of you!" the thief teased with a smile. "I really am a bad influence on you. Don't you just love it?"

Ben scoffed at the question. "About as much as I love Audrey, which is none at all."

Rolling his at his friend's obvious hatred toward his current girl, Aziz wondered, "If you really don't like her, then why are you dating the bitch?"

"'Cause our parents set us up with the hopes that we would eventually marry and our rule over the kingdom would be better than just me." Ben sighed let loose all of his frustrations. "When I dump her, I'm going to wait a few days to expose her sexually cheating on me with Chad."

"That's going to ruin their reputation." Aziz smiled wickedly at the idea. "I love it! Just tell me what to do to help."

"It won't be until after the Tourney game next week," Ben informed before his friend could get too hyped up on the idea. "Win or lose, I plan on asking Mal to be my date for the coronation. Audrey will probably cause a scene and that's when I will expose her."

"You know what would make the scenario even better?" Aziz rhetorically questioned. "Chad being benched during that game. He's a terrible player, has bad sportsmanship, and his parents are paying for his spot on the team!"

"Maybe something will happen to make it come true," Ben suggested with a hopeful shrug. "For now, I'm going to talk with Fairy Godmother about switching Mal's gym class for art, since she painted a beautiful mural on her locker this morning before school started. I'll 'adjust' her transcript from Dragon Hall to show she already has taken that class, so I don't make Fairy Godmother suspicious."

"Again I ask, what should I do?" Aziz interrogated with depressed, sagging shoulders. "I'm supposed to spend the rest of the week with Jay to go over the rule-book, remember? Should I pretend I don't know about their plan to take the wand?"

"Yes, so that he and Mal will believe that we don't know about Mallory," Ben answered rationally. "If Jay truly likes you, or is head-over-heels for you, then he will tell you about their plan."

"Think Mal will eventually tell you?"

"Most likely not," Ben assumed. "She is too vulnerable right now and only trusts those closest to her because of the situation she went through. She may reluctantly go through with the plan, but she could choose good in the end."

Aziz groaned as he flopped onto his back dramatically. "I hope Jay does tell me," he admitted. "I've only known him for a day, yet I'm already in love."


	17. Chapter 17

**Thought I better give a ****WARNING**** so there isn't a spree of flames in the review section.**

**This chapter will indicate and mention sexual actions, but won't go into detail. This chapter may, once again, be on the border of the 'M' rating, more so than the first chapter. I don't believe it is enough for me to change the rating so let me know if you think I should. **

**Don't forget the deal with the events regarding Jay and Aziz.**

* * *

Mal somehow managed to hide her surprise the next day when Fairy Godmother informed her that the switching of the second hour class went smoothly so that she was now enrolled in an art class. The fairy naturally assumed that Jay rearranged things with the headmistress and made up some phony excuse on why Mal shouldn't be in the class. She would have to remind herself to thank her friend later on.

Other than that, the rest of the school week was uneventful for Mal.

As for Jay, he became even closer with Aziz in the short time he spent with him.

Wednesday during his 'Tourney class' with Aziz, Jay admittedly found himself distracted by his teacher's lips and decided to test them out. The rest of the hour was just the two of them making-out at the bleachers until their lips were numb. Since then, Aziz would try to steal kisses from the Lost Boy every chance he could without getting caught. In a passing hour Thursday afternoon, Aziz had dragged his thief into the nearby restroom, where they were late for their class because they almost took a _major _step in their relationship.

Don't worry! I won't go into details about that.

I will say that Friday afternoon, just a few minutes after school had let out for the day, the sort of secret couple had went to Aziz's dorm-room for a last-minute study session before Jay would have to review with the coach. Studying lasted for half a minute before Aziz found himself pinned on his bed with Jay hovering above him. The two became involved in a _very _heated make-out session, practically ripping their shirts off in the process. Aziz had his fingers clawing into lover's scalp while Jay's hand trailed to the edge of the other thief's pants. Right when he was about to tug them off—

A phone went off, ruing the moment yet again.

Aziz pulled away with a groan. "Fuck!"

"Ignore it," Jay ordered impatiently, adverting the assault from the lips to his neck.

"C-can't," Aziz denied as he tried to contain a moan. "It's Ben. He d-doesn't call me unless it's important."

With a disgruntle sigh, the Lost Boy adjusted himself so he was only a couple inches away from the Auradon thief's face. "Make it quick," Jay instructed, his fingers running through Aziz's hair while gazing at him with a certain unknown glint in his eye. "There's so much I want to do with you before I have to go."

Motivated to end the phone call quickly, Aziz answered the phone, but put it on speaker so Jay could hear the conversation. "Hello?"

"_Good news_," Ben's voice began from the other end of the connection. "_I spoke with Fairy Godmother about the surprise for the Core Four. She thought the video-call was a wonderful idea."_

Jay sat up a little more to look at his lover in confusion. "Video-call? What for?"

There was a pause of silence in the room until it was interrupted by Ben somewhat begging, "_Please tell me you two aren't doing anything on my bed._"

"Not yet," Aziz teased before gazing up at his thief. "Ben wanted to surprise all of you because he thought you and your friends may be getting homesick. Family Day is coming up—an event where parents come see their kids at Auradon Prep—and Ben thought that would be perfect timing so none of you felt left out. Fairy Godmother will set up a video call between you four and your parents probably a day or so before the event actually takes place."

The Lost Boy perked up as an idea came to mind. "Do you think I could talk to her about setting up a separate call for Mal?" Jay questioned the two princes. "Mal has been missing her . . . favorite teacher, and I think this would cheer her up."

"_Of course!_" Ben agreed a little too quickly. "_The surprise won't take place for a couple weeks, so as long as you talk to before then, everything will be settled. By the way, Aziz, I found Dude."_

"Really?" Aziz grabbed his phone so he could listen to the story better. "Where was he?"

"_I have no idea_," Ben admitted. "_I only found him when I was helping Carlos. He was doing a warm-up exercise when Dude came out of nowhere and started chasing him. Carlos actually climbed up a tree because he was so scared. After about a minute, Carlos was able to hold Dude with almost no fear. As planned, I told him that Dude was the campus mutt."_

"Professor Yen Sid had mentioned Carlos's social problems and irrational fears to Ben when he started searching for transfer students," Aziz explained to Jay so he could stay in the loop. "I suggested letting him care for Dude, who is actually the campus therapy dog. We wanted to keep that detail a secret from him, so Carlos doesn't think we are pitying him. We had thought that if Carlos really took a liking to Dude, he could keep the dog after he graduates, and the school can train a new therapy dog from the shelter."

"Sounds like a smart idea," Jay complimented. "I'll keep that a secret from him."

Nodding in satisfaction, Aziz impatiently adverted his attention back to the phone. "Anything else?"

"_Well . . ."_ Ben trailed off with a teasing tone in his voice. "_Remember how you told me a week or so ago that one of the times I say 'good news' it will be—"_

"No fucking way!" Aziz exclaimed dramatically. "You broke up with her?"

"_Just a few minutes ago_," the soon-to-be king confirmed with what sounded like a smile. "_Now we have about five days to come up with a revenge plan_."

" 'Revenge plan'?" Jay repeated incredulously. "What for?"

"Audrey had been cheating on Ben with Chad for over three years," Aziz informed without a care in the world now. "They were sexting—sending nude pictures, videoing themselves masturbating, texting vulgar ideas to one another, etc. There were actually a few times where the bastard sent videos of him fucking her and the bitch sent videos of her sucking him off."

Jay snarled his nose in disgust hearing his lover describe the details. "How do you know this?"

"I stole Chad's phone," Aziz admitted with a careless shrug. "First time I stole it was back when he ratted me out to everyone being gay three years ago. Back then it was them texting vulgarly to one another, not really enough to be classified as cheating, but I still told Ben. Ben couldn't break up with the bitch because their parents had set them up in hopes of a marriage, so he asked me to continue collecting evidence so he can show his parents proof of the cheating scandal. Over the past few times that I've stolen Chad's phone, I've seen so many sexual exchanges between them that it isn't funny and, quite frankly, should be illegal. I'm surprised they were able to sneak around so well."

"_Do you still have his phone?_" Ben questioned after politely waiting for the explanation to end.

"Sure do," Aziz answered as he grabbed the mobile device from his bedside table. "And it looks like Audrey just sent Chad another nude of her in bed, asking if he wanted to help her relieve some stress from your fight."

"_So she doesn't believe we are broken up_," Ben deduced. "_That's going to make it worse for her when the messages get leaked._"

"Hold up!" Jay requested as he tried to process the information given to him. "You're telling me, to get revenge on your ex-girlfriend, you're going to send pictures of her sexual conversations to everyone in the kingdom?"

"_More like to everyone at the Tourney game Wednesday_," Ben corrected nonchalantly. "_From there, I have no control over who sees it."_

"I was hoping we could actually send the messages to everyone," Aziz admitted scheming shrug. "That way people could see the videos and hear what the two said in them. A couple videos actually has Audrey saying that she enjoys cheating on her boyfriend."

"That is devious!" Jay smiled mischievously. "What can I do to help?"

"_You better stay out of it_," Ben warned cautiously. "_We told you too much already. I don't want this to come back on you. I didn't even want to get Aziz involved, but he's the only one that could steal the phone and return it without being caught."_

"If I can't help you, then maybe Carlos can," Jay suggested. "Carlos is a computer genius. He could figure out how to send the messages the way you want _and _make it to where no one can identify the sender."

"_Fine_," Ben grumbled. "_But Aziz or I will be the sender so you two don't get caught in the cross-fire. For now, I'm going to plan how to ask Mal to be my date to the coronation."_

"Good luck," Aziz encouraged as he locked eyes with his surprised thief. "I know how much you love Mal. Hopefully she'll say yes."

"_Hopefully_," Ben agreed with a sigh. "_Let me know if I need to stay the weekend at my parents' castle so you two can have some privacy. My only request is that you don't do anything on my bed."_

Aziz scoffed as he hung on his friend. Meanwhile, Jay was somewhat confused by the revelation. "Ben is in love with Mal?" He questioned rhetorically. "For how long?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Aziz fibbed while placing the two mobile devices on his nightstand. "He said he had a dream about being on a date with a purple haired girl by the Enchanted Lake. He believed she was from the Isle, which is when he first started working on his proclamation. Ben sent a letter to Yen Sid requesting his opinion on transfer students. I knew all of you before you came here."

Jay couldn't help chuckling at the news. "So, you knew I was gay from the beginning and wanted to embarrass me in front of my friends?"

"No, I was being completely serious," Aziz insisted with a smirk as he wrapped his arms around his thief's neck. "And here you are, taking me up on the private tour."

Jay paused for a moment, debating on what he should do. After a moment or so, he sighed softly. "Aziz . . . there is something I need to tell you before we go to far."

Aziz tilted his head in feign curiosity, having a vague idea what it could be. Taking his time to collect his thought, Jay confessed, "My friends and I came to Auradon to steal Fairy Godmother's wand. Maleficent ordered us to do so and we didn't want to go against her because she's Mistress of Evil. My father sent me a letter a couple days ago saying I didn't have to go along with the plan if I didn't want to. Now I don't know what to do because I'm in love with you, but my friends are counting on me to help them. I'm sorry."

Aziz couldn't help that his jaw dropped at the confession. He was grateful that the Lost Boy actually revealed his evil plan, but he had no idea that he'd say—

"Prove it."

Jay raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the demand. "Excuse me?"

"Prove. It." Aziz challenged slowly with a wag of his eyebrows. "By making love to me. You have about two hours before you have to meet up with Coach. Or do you think that's not enough time?"

Chuckling softly, Jay teased, "I'm not sure. You better warn Ben that we need his room all weekend since it will take that long for me to prove my love for you."

Pleased by the response, Aziz tugged on his thief's neck to pull him down for a kiss. Meanwhile, Jay let his hand trail down back to where they were before being interrupted.

And I'll let your imagination run wild from there.

* * *

After the fun-filled two hours with his now official boyfriend, Jay reluctantly insisted that he should spend about an hour or so with his friends after speaking with the coach. This way, Jay could tell them that he and Aziz were official. Though he hated to see his beloved go, Aziz couldn't help feeling giddy that he could finally call the Isle thief his boyfriend.

Spending less than fifteen minutes with the coach, Jay barged into Mal and Evie's dorm-room as he proudly showed off his new jersey. Carlos whispered appreciatively from his spot on the floor, where a computer rested on his lap and a golden-furred dog laid next to him. For some reason, Evie was in the middle of copying two sets of homework answers at her desk while Mal flipped her spell book on her bed.

"How did your plan work with Jane?" Jay wondered as he took a seat next to his best friend. "Are you going to see the wand?"

"Fairy Godmother refused to use the wand on her," Mal informed with an aggravated huff. "Now I have to try to find a spell to help us out. So far all I've used is a hair spell, but I can't find anything else."

Cautiously, Jay laid a comforting hand over the 'secret' mother. "Don't worry," he reassured quietly so the other two couldn't hear. "We will get the wand. You _will _see her again. I promise."

"Oh!" Evie perked up at suddenly remembering something. "I forgot to tell you. I found out that Fairy Godmother blesses Ben with her wand at the coronation. We all get to go." The princess rolled her eyes dramatically. "I have _so _many outfits to make for us."

Obviously her three friends looked at her incredulously, but Evie couldn't help wondering with her ditsy voice, "What?"

Before anyone could answer, there was a sharp yet gentle knock on the door. "Hold that thought," Mal ordered as she slammed her book shut.

Climbing off her bed, Mal opened her bedroom door, coming face to face with Ben, who stood in the hallway with a small smile. "Hey," he greeted politely. "I didn't see you or Evie today and thought I should check up on you just in case you needed something."

Ben peered inside the room to smile knowingly at Jay. "Your boyfriend told me you two were going to take me up on my offer," he teased. "Try not to make a mess in my room."

As if on cue, the thief's three friends whipped their heads to gaze at him in surprise. "Aziz and I are dating," Jay bashfully admitted with a shrug. "It's not that big of a deal."

"'Not that big'!" Mal repeated incredulously. "I've been teasing you for the last two years about finding an Auradon thief and you finally did! It's a _huge_ deal! I'm so happy for you."

"You obviously have a lot to talk about now," Ben acknowledged as he slowly started walking backwards. "I'll just—"

"Hold on," Mal requested before the prince could leave. "Is it true that we all get to go to your coronation?"

"Yeah," Ben answered as he leaned against the doorway with a smile, "the whole school gets to go along with a majority of the kingdom."

"Wow!" Mal exclaimed almost sarcastically. "Do you think it's possible for the four of us to stand in the front row so we can have a better view of your coronation?"

Ben hesitated, almost like he knew the real reason behind the question. "I wish you could," he claimed. "But it won't be possible for all of you to be up there. Since Jay is dating Aziz, he could be near the second or third row with him. As for up front, it's just me, my folks, and my girlfriend."

"Hmmm. . ." Mal let the information settle before saying, "Thanks. Bye!"

Slamming the door in the prince's face, Mal waited a moment to turn to her friends with a mischievous smile. "I think it's time that Prince Ben got himself a new girlfriend. And I need a love spell."


	18. Chapter 18

Instead of concocting the love potion that night, Mal decided to do a little more research into the ingredients and the steps. The fairy eventually discovered that she made the right choice of not diving immediately into making the potion. Apparently, to disguise the potion, it is required to bake the concoction into the recommended dessert. The magic will fade away if the treat isn't devoured within twenty-four hours.

So the night before the big Tourney game, Mal was in the middle of whisking together the ingredients for the love potion while Evie searched the cabinets for any other ingredient that may be needed. Meanwhile, Carlos was busy typing away on his laptop to make last minute changes to the revenge plan. Jay watched only because he was curious about one thing.

"Damn," Jay commented as he squinted at the screen. "I can't believe she would cheat with someone as small as him."

Carlos paused a moment to look at his friend with a raised eyebrow. "And you're any bigger?"

"Of course," Jay boasted confidently. "Just ask my boyfriend."

The technology genius snickered as he went back to work. "You just wanted an excuse to call Aziz that."

The boys' conversation didn't get go unnoticed as Evie twirled around to face them, her hands on her hip in a demanding pose. "What are you doing?" Evie interrogated forcefully. "You're supposed to be helping with the potion."

"Trust us, this is way more important," Jay promised.

"And twice as entertaining," Carlos joked as he continued typing away on his electronic device.

"Focus on this for a few moments," Mal ordered while referencing her spell book for the thousandth time. "The last thing we need is a tear, but I don't cry."

"Let's chop up an onion then," Carlos suggested as he grabbed one next to the bowl that Dude was currently sitting in. "Quickest way to get one."

"That won't work," Mal denied with a frustrated huff. "It says we need one tear of fairy sadness. We have to follow the recipe exactly for it to work."

"A tear's a tear," Jay complained with an annoyed eye-roll. "And will it even work since you are part god?"

"As long as Mal has fairy blood, it will work," Evie argued knowledgeably. "The god part of her will just intensify the effects of the tear. Besides, although both have antibodies and enzymes, an emotional tear has more protein-based hormones than a reflex tear."

Mal smiled proudly at her second-best-friend. "Listen to you," she cooed. "Sounds like all that extra studying has paid off."

While Evie beamed bashfully at the compliment, there came a sound of a creaking door. Making a quick decision, Mal threw a kitchen towel over her spell book to keep it hidden just as a teenage girl with luscious brown hair wearing a bright pink floral pajama set walked in.

"There you are, Mal!" the unknown-girl exclaimed happily as she flounced toward her. "I was looking for you! All the girls want you to do their hair."

Jay raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the girl. "And you are?"

"Jay, this is Lonnie, the daughter of Mulan," Mal introduced while mixing the ingredients in the bowl. "She had asked me to spell her hair a couple days ago. Lonnie, he is—"

"I already know," Lonnie interrupted with a mischievous smile. "Aziz told me all about his boyfriend."

The Lost Boy didn't bother hiding his surprise. "Really? He's told me nothing about you."

"We really don't talk anymore because of the people I hang with," Lonnie claimed with a careless shrug. "So what midnight snack are you making?"

"Nothing special," Mal insisted with a shrug of her own. "Just craving some cookies."

"Have you added chocolate chips?" Lonnie wondered as she headed to the fridge to retrieve a bowl of the dark sweets. "It is the _most _important ingredient for a cookie recipe."

Hearing no immediate protests from the group, the Chinese girl sprinkled the chips into the dough, causing the Lost Girls to stare at the strange contents in the bowl. It was only then that Lonnie realized that they were staring blankly.

"Wait . . ." Lonnie tilted her head in curiosity at the group. "Didn't your moms ever make you chocolate chip cookies?"

Their eyes were still blank, so she further explained, "Like, when you're feeling sad? They're fresh from the oven, with a big glass of milk. She makes you laugh and puts everything into perspective . . ."

Lonnie trailed off the moment she noticed their mystified expressions. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Mal adverted her gaze to hide her emotions about missing a certain someone, stirring the batter as she blinked through her watering eyes. "It's different where we're from. . ."

"Yeah, I know," Lonnie commented while trying not to be too pushy. "I just, I thought . . . even villains love their kids."

Like water breaking through a dam, Mal clutched the table while bowing her head, her emotions overwhelming her. Although she tried her hardest to contain her sobs, she was unable to stop the tear that streamed down her cheek and into the batter.

The final ingredient for the potion.

"I'm so sorry!" Lonnie apologized while shaking her head in denial. "I-I didn't mean to upset you."

"You're alright," Jay reassured as he swooped in to comfort his best friend. The moment he was by her side, Mal buried her head into his shoulder to hide her sorrow from the world. "She just doesn't have a great relationship with her mother," he fibbed, rubbing soothing circles on the fairy's shoulder blade. "Mal tries a little too hard to please her mother, but nothing works."

"We have to get these cookies in the oven now if we want to make curfew," Evie abruptly insisted, mixing the dough once again since everything was inside. "We'll see you tomorrow."

Although confused and reluctant to go because of what she did, Lonnie slowly walked out of the kitchen to tell certain princes what transpired.

Meanwhile, after the 'goody-goody' was gone, Jay turned toward his friends. "Carlos, Evie, take over from here," he instructed as he still had his arms wrapped around the fragile fairy. "I'm going to take Mal back to her room and try to cheer her up."

* * *

The next morning—after collecting herself from her emotional disaster the night before—Mal and Jay walked outside the school by the lockers. When Mal opened hers, Jay noticed the baggie she pulled out with a special love-spell cookie inside.

"Are you feeling kind of weird about this?" Jay wondered, his last attempt to make her change her mind. "I mean, it's not so bad here."

Mal twirled around on her heels to face her friend. "Are you insane?" She scolded quietly so no one could eavesdrop. "We need the wand so we can bring down the barrier. So _I _can see my baby girl again."

"But is this really necessary?" Jay interrogated while leaning against the locker next to hers. "Maybe Ben already likes you. Maybe he broke up with Audrey so he could be with you."

Mal scoffed at the 'ridiculous' idea. "Yeah, right. A prince isn't going to sweep me off my feet on his own. My life isn't a fairy-tale. It's a nightmare. The only good part in it is you, Dad, and Mallory."

"But will you be comfortable with this?" Jay urged to try to voice his concerns. "After everything you've been through, is spelling someone to be in love with you the right choice? Are you _ready_ to be in a relationship, even if it's fake?"

Hesitating for only a moment, Mal reassured timidly, "I'll be fine. Even though he will be spelled, Ben is still a prince and a gentleman. He won't hurt me like Harry did."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, another set of best friends were having a conversation of their own.

"I can't believe you changed the revenge plan," Aziz complained as he leaned against the locker next to Ben's. "Why?"

"Thinking about it, sending the messages so the videos could be seen was a little too harsh," Ben insisted quickly so no bystanders could hear him. "The screenshots of the messages will still show that she cheated."

"What does your beast want to do?"

"Leak the actual messages," Ben answered like it obvious. "But I'm the one in control. _If _Audrey or Chad somehow denies it after the initial leak, then the second leak will be the videos, specifically the one where she admits to cheating."

"I guess I'll be fine with that," Aziz teased, though his demeanor quickly turned serious. "What are you going to do about the charmed cookie?"

"Say that I don't eat sweets?" Ben answered, though he sounded uncertain. "If she is persistent, then I probably will eat it."

"Jay said there's a love potion in it," Aziz reminded warningly. "You're still going to eat it knowing that?"

"The potion won't work," Ben stubbornly insisted. "I'll prove it to you."

So, while Aziz and Jay moved off to the side to mingle with Evie and Carlos, Ben approached Mal with a bright, yet somehow comforting smile. "Hey," he greeted as he, once again, kept a respectful distance from her. "How are you? Lonnie told me and Aziz that you were a little . . . emotional last night. She didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm fine," Mal reassured a little too quickly. "It's just been a rough couple days, but I made a batch of cookies." The fairy held up a baggie with an innocent smile on her face. "Do you want one?"

Ben eyed the bag suspicious. "I don't eat sweets during Tourney season. Maybe next time?"

"No, yeah. I completely understand," Mal commented with a dramatic eye-roll. "Be careful of treats offered by kids of villains. I'm sure every kid in Auradon knows that."

"That's not it," Ben argued.

"No, I get it." Mal interrupted, finding herself somewhat nervous by her calm façade. "You're cautious. That's smart. More for me, I guess." She took the cookie from the baggie and acted like she was about to take a bite.

Ben grabbed it before she could and took a large bite to prove a point. "See that? Totally trust you."

Mal glanced over her shoulder at her friends, then back at Ben. "How is it?" she asked.

"It tastes good," Ben complimented while handing the cookie back to the fairy. "You added just the right amount of chocolate chips. You should consider baking more."

"Maybe I will," Mal agreed, though it was only to cover the sinking feeling in her stomach.

Ben offered a small smile to the fairy. "I'll see you at the game."

Mal could only nod as she watched him walk away with his closest friend.

Once he was out of hearing distance with Aziz, Ben bragged, "I told you the potion wouldn't work. You can't put a love spell on someone that's already in love."


	19. Chapter 19

A few hours later, Mal found herself being crowded in the stands with Evie at her side as they watched the Tourney game. With so many people around her, Mal couldn't help feeling constricted and claustrophobic. Her only saving grace was Lonnie, who stood on the other side of the fairy. Lonnie knew from the princes about the fairy's personal space issue, so she made sure to stay at least a couple feet away to give Mal some room to breathe.

As predicted by a few people, Coach Jenkins waited until the last few minutes of the game to use the 'Jack/Ace' strategy, as he had put it. Initially, Carlos was completely confused by what the statement meant, until Jay patted him on the back and insisted that he was the 'Jack', since he was underdog needed to win the game. Carlos couldn't help feeling prideful of being thought of so highly, and it initially made him play better since he knew so many people believed in him.

Of course, Aziz just had to wish his boyfriend good-luck, since it was his first time playing in a game. So, with everyone watching, the Auradon thief gave the Lost Boy a semi-passionate kiss, eliciting a few cheers and whistles from the audience. The thieves could distinctively hear a certain fairy shout, 'Get a room!' causing the couple to reluctantly break the kiss.

Almost like something depended on it, Jay attempted to score a point without anyone's help, but the goalie managed to block it at the last second. During the next play, Jay gave up the idea of playing the 'lone wolf' and instead stayed at Carlos's side. After slipping throw the Kill Zone without getting hit or injured, the Ace and Jack were able to set up the King to score the final point to win the game.

In the bleachers, the Auradon students went wild at _finally _winning back the trophy after so many years. Mal covered her ears at the screaming and cheering, practically cowering as she found herself losing more and more of her personal space.

Luckily, another saving grace came to Mal's aid, but not in a way that she was thinking.

"Excuse me!" Prince Ben shouted into a microphone as he stood on the dragon cannon. "Can I have your attention, please?"

Once the audience settled down from their excitement and adverted their attention to the prince, Ben searched the crowd for a certain purple-haired teenager. "Mal," he called out. "Will you come down here a moment?"

Curious by the unusual request, Mal slowly made her way onto the Tourney field, as it would give her a chance to feel not so crowded. With Jay helping her onto the dragon cannon, the fairy now stood face to face with the prince, wondering what he planned to do.

"I don't plan on making this a big spectacle, so I'll just say it." Ben paused a moment to let a sincere smile grace his lips. "I love you, Mal."

As if on cue, the entire audience cooed and awed at the confession. For some strange reason, Mal felt herself blushing at hearing those words. The prince sounded so genuine with his announcement. The fairy couldn't believe the love potion made the 'victim's' reaction so realistic.

However, the moment between the two was rudely interrupted when cheerleader Audrey stole the gold microphone from the king-to-be. "Chad's my boyfriend now!" Audrey announced as she draped her arm around Chad's neck. "I'm going to the coronation with him, so I don't need your pity date."

"Why should I pity you?" Ben snapped in a hateful tone that _no one _thought he was capable of—well, except for Aziz. "You were the one who cheated on me with Chad for three years!"

Of course, the audience gasped at the revelation, but Audrey merely scoffed at the accusation. "You're lying," the princess insisted. "I have _never_ cheated on you."

"Then why do the messages say otherwise?"

Although her complexion paled a couple shades, Audrey kept her calm, yet clueless composure as she challenged, "What messages?"

At the question, a ding went off, signaling a text. Then came another and another and another, sounding like music building up to a tense moment. Suddenly, the rings stopped, replaced by the conspiratorial whispers of the audience.

"The sexts between you and Chad that were just leaked," Ben retorted with a vengeful glare. "It wouldn't have come to this if you hadn't been so self-centered and wanted more than you already had. You are rude, disrespectful, and expect everyone to wait on you hand and foot. You are supposed to be a princess, but all I see in front of me is a spoiled brat that finally got what she deserved. Good luck trying to talk yourself out of a mess that _you _created. I, for one, am thankful for this because I _never _liked you and I had _never _wanted to be with you."

Jaw dropping at everything that happened to her, Audrey allowed the microphone to be taken away from her before she ran off the field to save herself from any other humiliation that could occur. Chad trailed after her, seeing that half of the incident was directed toward him.

Ben adverted his gaze to the fairy next to him. The prince may have been mistaken, but he could have sworn that Mal was seething in rage. Perhaps, he shouldn't have done the revenge plan in her presence because of what may have happened to her, but there is still one thing he needed to do.

"Mal," Ben began so the fairy would look at him, "will you be my date to the coronation?"

Looking as though she was trying her hardest not to grit her teeth, Mal answered, "Yes."

* * *

The next day, Mal was bitterly grabbing her books from her locker when Jay walke—well . . . _limped _over to her.

"You alright?" Jay wondered as he leaned against a locker for support. "I didn't get the chance to talk to you after the game. You looked pissed."

"What do you expect?" Mal snapped a little too harshly, though she kept her tone quiet. "While the daughter of Aurora willingly allowed herself to be used repeatedly for a man's pleasure, me—the daughter of Maleficent—was forcefully raped by a man that abused her. While Audrey doesn't give a shit about the potential consequences, I _feared _the consequences, yet I had the baby. Don't get me wrong: I love Mallory more than anything in the world and wouldn't trade her for anything. She is my heart. I just believe it is cruel of the Fates to give us such opposite stories."

"I know it's no conciliation, but I'm truly sorry," Jay apologized as he rested his head against the locker door. "I promise, your life will get better. Maybe now that Ben—"

"Don't get me started on him," Mal complained with a disgruntle sigh. "He asked me out on a date."

"You said yes?"

"Had to," she insisted stubbornly. "Even with the love potion in place, I can't risk him getting suspicious by denying the date."

Before more could be said, Aziz rounded the corner with an unusual perkiness to him. The Auradon thief greeted his Lost Boy with a loving kiss, which made the fairy curious.

"Alright," Mal began with a scheming smirk. "Jay, you are walking funny and Aziz is happier than usual. Either you pulled a muscle during the game yesterday or Aziz made you bottom last night."

"_And _this morning," Aziz confirmed while wrapping an arm around his lover's waist. "I made a bet with Jay yesterday before the game. If he didn't make a goal, he would have to bottom last night and this morning. Ben, being an amazing best friend, risked being scolded by his parents at their castle last night so I can have the room."

"It was great," Jay admitted before quickly adding, "but I still prefer being top."

"Then don't lose any more bets," Aziz teased, getting a quick kiss from his boyfriend and a chuckle from his boyfriend's best friend.

Of course, the moment had to be ruined when a jerk in the form of a spoiled prince that wanted to cause some trouble. "Hey, freak-show!" shouted Chad Charming as he slowly stormed toward the trio. "I know you were responsible for yesterday!"

"Ignore him," Jay instructed while holding his beloved's hand reassuringly. "He's just begging for a fight."

"You're going to listen to the Isle faggot over me?" Chad taunted.

Inhaling a deep, angered breath, Aziz turned on his heels to see that the other prince was too close in his personal space. "Leave my boyfriend out of this," the Agrabah prince warned. "Your little spat is with me, even though I'm not responsible."

Chad scoffed at the denial. "Yeah, right. You need to man up to what you did. Oh wait! You can't because you are a _tapette_!"

"_Albi_," Jay pleaded while tugging on Aziz's hand. "My heart, please. I promise, if you walk away, you will be rewarded. Just. Walk. _Away_."

Locking eyes with his beloved, Aziz reluctantly exhaled a breath of air as he allowed his boyfriend to drag him off. Obviously, Chad didn't like that his favorite victim was ignoring him, especially since he still needed to answer for the 'stunt' he pulled yesterday. So, Prince Charming Jr. did the first thing that came to mind.

Twirling Aziz around to look at him, Chad socked him a hard one right in the face. Everything and everyone went still at the moment, especially the shocked teenagers from the Isle of the Lost. Of course, after getting over the fact that he had been hit, Aziz attacked the spoiled prince, leaving the 'VKs' frozen in place at the spontaneous fight.

Out of nowhere, Prince Ben came to the rescue, as he usually was the only one that could break up the fight between the two. However, this one time, when Ben tried to shove them apart, _he _got shoved by Chad—

Right into the glass railing that separated the locker walk-way from the picnic area.

Shards went _everywhere _as the almost-king crashed into the clear paneling, surprisingly not falling over the edge. The enormous noise was enough to make the fighting princes stop, though one was mainly concerned about something else.

"Ben," Aziz called cautiously as he went to help his friend. "You alright? Temper in check?"

"Fine," Ben spat through gritted teeth. You couldn't really blame his attitude though since he had multiple cuts on his exposed skin and his outfit was torn to near shreds by the shards.

Once Aziz helped him stand to his feet, Ben steadied a glare at the scared Chad Charming. "_What _were you thinking?"

"Aziz caused that scene yesterday!" Chad accused, pointing a snooty finger at the Auradon thief. "He sent those fake messages to everyo—"

"Chad, I did that!" Ben shouted over him. "And I know they weren't fake because _I _saw them on your phone! Last school year when we were studying together, you went to the restroom but left your phone unlocked on the table. Audrey sent you a picture while you were gone, and I saw _all_ of your sexts. I set up the revenge plan, I stole your phone, _and _I leaked the messages. In this situation, _you _are the one that needs to man up! Speaking of which, have fun talking yourself out of a punishment for _assaulting _a classmate."

Choosing to ignore the shocked spoiled prince for now, Ben adverted all his attention to the speechless fairy that had witness the whole debacle. "Are you okay?" Ben questioned as he examined the girl with his eyes. "No shards get you?"

"I'm fine," Mal reassured softly. "Not a scratch on me."

"Well, after I talk to Fairy Godmother about this situation, I plan on convincing her to let us get out of our classes early," Ben informed with a small smile. "Meet you at your dorm room in two hours for our date?"

Nodding in agreement, the prince left to search for the headmistress while the fairy searched for a certain blue-haired fashionista to help with her outfit.


	20. Chapter 20

After spending nearly an hour with her fashion-forward friend, Mal couldn't believe how beautiful she felt in the short purple dress with the black leather jacket. It had been so long since she ever felt that way, especially after she had her daughter. Mal lost all care for her personal appearance because all her attention was given to making sure Mallory was well taken care of.

Now, Mal had more hope than before that her daughter would grow up to be more beautiful than she could ever imagine.

That thought made Mal especially cheerful for her date with Ben, though she had to remind herself that the prince was spelled, so it didn't count. Either way, Ben was still the perfect gentleman. For some reason, he always wanted to make sure she was comfortable with everything. Her favorite part so far had to be the drive through the countryside. Despite riding on a vehicle that she's never been on before, Mal felt completely safe and at ease.

After crossing a suspension bridge that hanged high above a rushing stream—where they confessed their ridiculous middle names given to them by a parent or parents—Ben's happy demeanor faltered slightly.

"I want to keep our final destination a surprise," Ben commented slowly yet calmly. "I need you to close your eyes so it can stay a secret. If you are uncomfortable with me guiding you blindly, then it won't be a problem. I just thought it would make our first date a little more special."

Smiling softly at kind gesture, Mal outstretched her hand to show her trust. "Lead the way."

Once the prince gently took her hand, the fairy closed her eyes, though she was silently praying to her uncles that she made the right decision.

Turns out she did.

Though her eyes were closed, Mal could still sense just how close Ben was to her. He still maintained a respectful distance and never tightened the grip on her hand. Ben's hold was light, soft, and somewhat comforting. When helping her cross over any type of obstacles, he never touched any other part of her body, only her delicate hands.

After a few minutes of 'living on the edge', the prince finally stopped them in their tracks. "You ready?" Ben wondered as he rubbed soothing circles on the fairy's hand, the very same trick her friend does to comfort her. When Mal timidly nodded, he whispered, "Open."

Slowly opening her eyes, Mal gasped at the sight of the beautiful Enchanted Lake. She looked upon the jade colored waters of the magical lake and the stone platform with a few ancient pillars wrapped in ivy with purple flowers, which protruded on the edge of the lake.

Carefully walking onto the platform, the unusual couple sat on a blue picnic blanket, where a lavish array of food laid out for them. Mal took a jelly doughnut and cautiously bit into the foreign food. Liking the filling inside, she practically scarfed down the rest, getting powdered sugar on the edge of her lips.

"So?" Ben smiled at her pure action. "What do you think?"

"Mmm . . . This is really good." She licked the sugar off her fingers as she spoke. "I never had anything like this. The closest thing to it that I can think of is hush-puppies. Those were my _favorite _growing up as a little girl, especially since my old friend's mother owned a fish restaurant. I used to eat them every day during the summertime. When I was sick a couple years ago, Jay would get me hush-puppies because it was the only thing I would eat."

Ben chuckled at the innocent story-telling of her childhood. "Well, you've got . . ." He trailed off as he slowly moved forward to brush the powdered sugar from her lips, still being a respectful gentleman.

Mal laughed as she grabbed a napkin to get rid of the rest. "Can't take me anywhere, I guess."

Smiling softly at how the fairy was finally acting carefree, the prince thought it was time to take a little risk. "You know, I really don't know much about you and you really don't know much about me," Ben commented as he leaned forward expectantly. "How about I tell you two things about me, and you tell me one thing about you?"

"Hmmm," Mal pretended to ponder on the question for a few moments, though she was really wondering where the prince was going with this. "Alright . . . but no guarantees that mine will be anything too personal."

Chuckling at the comment, Ben began, "As I'm sure you are aware, my father was turned into a beast in his tale and then turned human again when he learned to love. What you—and everyone else in the entire world—don't know is that when my temper goes uncheck, I start to _turn _into a beast. Depending on how angry I am, my hands turn into claws, fangs form in my mouth, and my eyes become slits like an animal's."

Mal's jaw dropped at the revelation. "And no one knows this?"

"Aziz does," Ben corrected cautiously. "That's why he asked me if my temper was in check earlier today. He discovered it the same day that I did. It was a three-day weekend during eighth grade year, just a few weeks after everyone found out Aziz was gay. I had Aziz spend the night at my castle since he didn't have many friends after that 'fiasco'.

"My father doesn't like Aziz because—although he is fine with homosexuals—he doesn't believe that a prince should be gay. We got into a very heated verbal argument that only ended when my father called Aziz _tapette_. Not wanting to hear anymore, I stormed into my room with Aziz following. Soon after my beast—as Aziz likes to refer to it—came out and nearly destroyed the bedroom. Since then, I had to learn to keep my temper in check. Nothing like the first incident has happened again. Every now and then my hands will turn to claws, but I just clench my fist until they return to normal."

The fairy tilted her head curiously at hearing a certain word again. "What does _tapette _mean?" Mal wondered. "I've heard Chad say it a couple times, and now you say your father said it too."

"It's a French insult toward gays," Ben answered reluctantly. "It's basically to say that they are 'unmanly'. I absolutely despise that word and vowed that I would _never _call anyone that."

Mal smiled softly at his words. "Don't you just love having a gay best friend?" she teased good-naturedly. "They make your life a thousand times better and do everything they can to help you."

Smile going back on his handsome lips, Ben questioned, "So? What's your—"

"Nu-uh!" Mal interrupted as her own smile grew. "You still owe me one more piece of information."

Trying his hardest to suppress his smirk at thinking about the fairy's reaction from his next words, Ben informed, "Well, the love spell that you tried to put on me yesterday didn't work."

Of course, Mal's jaw dropped at the announcement. "_What_?"

"You can't put a love spell on someone that's already in love," Ben explained like it was simple knowledge. "I'm surprised your mother's spell book didn't tell you that."

"Hold on just a sec," Mal insisted roughly. "How did you know about the spell?"

"Jay told Aziz after I told the two of them about how I wanted to ask you out at the Tourney game," Ben fibbed, though it was technically just a murky truth. "Aziz told me about an hour or so before you gave me the magic cookie. I didn't know what you were planning so I thought I should go along with it."

Mal's heart faltered at the information for some 'strange' reason. "So you've been faking it," she assumed sadly.

"No!" Ben denied a little too quickly. "I haven't been faking anything. The love spell didn't work because I was already in love with you. I want to have a real relationship with you, not one that's created because of a spell."

The fairy hesitated at the confession. "Ben . . ." Mal began slowly, unsure of what she should say. "Something . . . happened while I was on the island. That something is the reason why I don't like people in my personal space, the reason why I can't have anyone touch me, and why I fear being in a relationship. I'm afraid that I'm going to be hurt . . . that I will be abused again."

"I'm not like that," Ben argued stubbornly. "I will _never _hurt you. Can you at least give me—give _us_ a chance?"

Once again, Mal hesitated at the idea, but could you really blame her after everything she's been through? "Alright," she relented, "but I'd like some rules."

"Of course," Ben agreed with a polite nod. "Whatever you need to make you feel comfortable."

"First, my neck is off limits," Mal listed off automatically. "Front, side, back, it doesn't matter. If or when I decide to let you kiss me, _don't_ grab my neck. If I decide to let you touch me in any way, _don't _touch my neck. I cut my hair for a couple reasons and the abuse was one of them."

The prince gritted his teeth, but maybe it was so he could control his temper. "Okay," he agreed. "Next rule?"

"Wait until I initiate contact before you touch me," Mal continued. "Like if I hold your hand or hug you—which may be a while before that happens—then you essentially have permission to hug me or whatever first. Just make sure I know that you're going to do it. Until I trust you more, don't surprise me with any kind of physical affection."

"I will be perfectly fine with that," Ben reassured calmly. "Anything else?"

"_Please _be patient with me," Mal pleaded almost timidly. "It's going to take time before I open up to this . . . and to you. Honestly, I told you more of what happened than I did Evie and Carlos. Hell, they don't even _know _something happened."

"Take all the time you need," Ben insisted. "But may I make one request? Or at least have permission to do something?"

Curious by the question, Mal essentially did grant the prince permission. Leaning forward, Ben placed the softest of kisses to the fairy's forehead, making her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "I would like to do that whenever I feel that you need it," Ben voiced with a small smile. "So, you will remember that I love you and that I will _always _protect you."

Unable to find her own voice, Mal nodded in confirmation—

As the request reminded her of her last moments with her daughter.


	21. Chapter 21

**Once again I am so sorry about not updating sooner. My phone was shut off and I have no Wi-Fi at the house so I had no way to update especially since . . . you know, can't go anywhere. Hopefully I can start getting back on track on updates, **_**but **_**that may not be until I start the events from "****Descendants 2****".**

**Obviously, the things to take place next are Family Day and coronation, the two of the most major events in the first movie. They will take up a chapter each and will be longer because of a few twists and turns that I'm adding. Hopefully you will like my new take on Family Day, or you may end up hating it for the idea I have in mind.**

**We'll have to wait and see. . .**

* * *

A few days passed since her first date with Ben. Surprisingly, Mal felt herself enjoying her stay in Auradon more and more with every passing day. Yes, she still missed her beloved daughter, but the feeling was not as predominant as before. With the picture of Mallory and the letters written by her father, Mal had some peace that her little girl would be well taken care of in her absence.

Nearly a week passed by with it being only a couple days away from the big coronation day. Evie has been working hard on all of their outfits for the big day. Mal's genuinely impressed by how quickly the princess was able to work, though she did believe that Evie was going to the extremes with her dress. Then again, the fairy was the girlfriend of the king-to-be, so she has to look her best at the coronation.

Friday morning, just a few minutes before Mal would have to attend Remedial Goodness, her . . . boyfriend decided to pay her a visit at her locker.

"Hey," Ben greeted with a small smile. "Are you ready for Family Day tomorrow?"

"No," Mal admitted while leaning against her locker. "And neither is Jay. He is about as prepared to meet Aziz's parents as I am to meet yours. He asked if I'd be with him, so he doesn't make a fool out of himself."

"That's not going to happen," Ben reassured kindly, "with either one of you. Queen Jasmine is very accepting of people, same with her husband. But . . . they've been acting off for the past few weeks because of Rajah."

"Her pet tiger?" Mal recalled faintly. "What about him?"

"He's getting older," Ben commented with a sad tone to his voice. "Queen Jasmine believed he was a gift from her mother before she passed away. She's had Rajah for nearly thirty years, way past the life expectancy of any tiger. Aziz and his family are afraid that his last day will be soon. Aziz will be a little . . . depressed tomorrow due to that fact, but he'll be trying his hardest to stay cheery."

"I'll warn Jay not to mention his age," Mal promised. "And Carlos and Evie just to be on the safe side."

"Rajah is a good judge of character," Ben commented with a soft smile. "So, if he likes Jay, then Jay has nothing to worry about."

"Meanwhile I have everything to worry about with your parents," Mal commented with a sigh. "They won't like that I'm the daughter of Maleficent or that I have a gay best friend too."

"_They _will have to get over it," Ben insisted stubbornly. "For now, I don't want you to focus on that. Instead, I want you to enjoy your Remedial Goodness class."

Mal scoffed. "Yeah, right. The only thing we do in that class is go over things that are common sense."

"Today will be different," Ben claimed with a knowing smile. "I think you will be surprised."

* * *

Of course, the prince was correct about the fairy being surprised because there was literally a surprise waiting for her about halfway through. Apparently, Fairy Godmother had set up a web cam, video chat thing with the Core Four's parents so they didn't feel left out during Family Day tomorrow.

Here's how _that_ conversation went.

"Evie!" Evil Queen shouted as she waved at the screen. "You look so beautiful! All the princes must be begging for your attention.

Evie merely smiled and timidly waved at her mother, not wanting her to know about her 'secret' admirer.

"Hello, Mother," Mal greeted with a soft sigh.

"Mal, I've missed you," Maleficent fibbed in a caring tone that was obviously fake. "How long until I can see you again?"

"I'm not sure," Mal commented with a careless shrug. "Probably some time after Prince Ben's coronation. I'll be close to the front row and Jay will be a row or so behind me with his boyfriend and his family."

On the screen Jafar raised a curious, yet amused eyebrow at the statement. "Jay, you didn't mention in your letters that you've met his parents."

"I'm meeting them tomorrow," Jay corrected a bit awkwardly, considering who the 'parents' were. "Aziz insisted since we are going to the coronation together. I'm hoping it goes well."

"His turn will be soon," Jafar reassured. "Though he only has one parent to worry about instead of two."

"Speaking of two, have any of you seen Dad?" Mal wondered without thinking. "I haven't heard from him in a couple days."

Maleficent narrowed her eyes at the question. "I thought I told you—"

"Nobody has seen your father," Cruella quickly interrupted before the evil fairy could lose her temper. "Last I heard, little Celia started running errands for him so he could stay home. She started about the same time that you haven't received a letter. She may not know how to send one and is too embarrassed to ask."

"I'll sort that out, so you don't have to worry," Jafar promised quickly.

"I'm surprised you've written him so much," Maleficent commented, though she had a snarl on her features. "You haven't written to me once."

"What do you expect?" Mal retorted bravely. "He is a better parent to me than you ever were! He cares for me, loves me, and does everything he can to protect me while you would toss me to the hyenas for looking at you in a way you didn't like."

Maleficent raised a curious eyebrow at her daughter's behavior. "It seems like being in Auradon has given you some courage to stand up to me. Maybe I shouldn't have convinced you to go."

"Which is the only good thing you have done for me as a mother," Mal declared with a certain fire in her eyes. "I am enjoying my life here because I have my friends and someone that I think actually cares for me, more than you _ever _have. The only thing that could make this better is if . . ."

The evil fairy rose her eyebrow even more at her daughter's faltering words. "If what?"

"If Dad was here with me," Mal continued, thought that is not what she truly wanted to say. "You kept me from seeing him in public for nearly ten years. I could only see him on the weekends at his place because of you. Dad had to get into a yelling match with you so I could live with him. Staying with him in his home for the past two years was better than the fourteen that I had to waste with you. In fact, I don't care if I _never_ see you again, which is possible since you are _stuck _on the island while I am free on the mainland."

Maleficent's pale features turned bright red in rage. "You little bit—"

Luckily, the headmistress was saved from the vulgar word when one of the villains on the other line cut the call. After a moment, Mal became flushed with embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry," she apologized. "I don't know what came over me. I . . . have a bad relationship with my mother and I think I made it worse."

"That's alright, dearie," Fairy Godmother reassured softly. "But I do need to speak with you and Jay for a moment. Evie, Carlos: you two are dismissed for the rest of the class."

"Perfect!" Evie cheered with a happy smile. "I need to work on our coronation outfits."

A few moments after the duo left the room, Fairy Godmother ushered Mal into sitting at a desk. Completely confused, the fairy did as she was told as her thief friend took the seat next to her, who was grinning ear to ear in delight. Suddenly a laptop was placed in front of them.

"If you need me, I'll be in my office," Fairy Godmother informed with a kind smile. "Hopefully this surprise will be better than your first."

Mal watched the headmistress leave with curiosity while Jay typed a few things on the keyboard like he had been taught before. The fairy's head was still turned toward the door when she heard a familiar shout, "Momma!"

Whipping her head around, Mal couldn't stop the near inaudible gasp that escaped her lips, or the tears that welled up at seeing a beautiful baby girl. "Mallory," Mal greeted breathlessly, though she was shaking her head in disbelief. "But how . . . ?"

"Ask your best friend," Hades instructed from the other line while holding his grand-daughter so she'd have a better view of her mother. "He set this up."

"I really didn't have to do much," Jay claimed with a near bashful shrug. "Ben had told Aziz about the earlier surprise while I was with him. I talked to Fairy Godmother and she set this connection up."

"You told her about Mallory?"

"I told her about Hades," Jay corrected before his friend could throw a fit. "Maleficent said _you _couldn't tell anyone about your father. She never said anything about me, Carlos, or Evie telling anyone. As for Lory, I don't plan on telling anyone unless I have your permission."

"Momma!" Mallory shouted again as she tapped on the computer screen.

Mal allowed a single tear to drip down her cheek as she laid a hand over the section of the screen that her daughter's hand cover. "Mallory," she cooed ever so softly. "I love you more than anything in the world. I promise, we will be together again."

* * *

Meanwhile, just outside that very classroom, Prince Ben was leaned up against the wall so the two inside couldn't see him. Could you really blame him for wanting to spy on the conversation? After all those dreams he had, Ben wanted to make sure it wasn't just a fantasy. He couldn't believe it was—

"Did you see her?" Aziz questioned quietly as he practically snuck up on his friend. "Did you see Mallory?"

"Only a glimpse," Ben replied through a whisper so the teenagers inside the classroom couldn't hear them. "She has her mother's purple hair like I thought. Her eyes . . . they are such a light shade of blue. She is so beautiful."

Aziz raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "Do you think this will make Mal more determined to get the wand?"

"I'm not sure," Ben claimed doubtfully. "When I got here a couple minutes ago, Mal got into an argument with her mother. Mal said she wouldn't care if she never saw her mother again because she was free on the mainland while Maleficent was stuck on the island. I think Mal was implying that she wasn't going to go through with taking the wand, but didn't want to flat out say it because Fairy Godmother was in the room."

"I'll let you know if Jay tells me anything," Aziz promised with a soft sigh. "With coronation in two days, there is still time for them to change their minds."

"All we have to do is get through Family Day," Ben joked.

If only he knew . . .


	22. Chapter 22

**I hate that it took so long to type this chapter. I stayed up really late a night or two to get it done, but it seemed like I could never get it finished.**

**So I have some news: my state is finally issuing a stay at home order Monday at midnight so I should be able to get more chapters done since I definitely can't go anywhere. I will try to get coronation chapter done as soon as possible, but this chapter took me nearly six days to finish. I'm hoping it won't take me that long for coronation.**

**WARNING/SPOILER****: A section of this chapter will have an argument regarding abortion. I know there are a lot of conflicting views and I want to make sure everyone is aware that it will be mentioned so no one is spontaneously angered.**

* * *

At the end of the day, the Core Four found their separate ways into Jay and Carlos's dorm room to discuss their plot for the wand, or if they even wanted to go through with the plan anymore.

The four were gathered around a table to examine Mal's sketches, which were a detailed diagram of the cathedral and an intricate drawing of the magic wand. Although they had been planning this scheme for the last couple weeks, none of them were particularly motivated anymore. In fact, the atmosphere in the dorm room was glum and reluctant in some ways.

"Okay, I'll bite." Mal leaned forward in her seat to seem more attentive. "Do any of you want to do this anymore? Do you want to give up the idea of taking the wand?"

"I do," Carlos spoke up bravely. "I mean, give up stealing the wand. I really like it here. They have good food, nice beds, warm showers, and furry friends like Dude."

"I like it here too," Evie admitted almost bashfully. "There is so much different fabric here and people don't see me as a pretty face. I think I found someone that likes me for my brains instead of my looks."

"And I found my Auradon thief," Jay joked with a sad tone in his voice. "Aziz is really looking forward to me meeting his parents tomorrow. I know we've only been dating for a few weeks, but . . . I think he's the one. I love him."

Mal allowed a small smile to grace her lips at hearing her friends' comments and her best friend's confession. "Alright . . ." She paused for a moment to stand, her smile growing wider as the trio gazed at expectantly. "Then it looks like the plan is off. No going after the wand. No more evil schemes for our parents. Let's live our lives in Auradon the way we want, but we still need to keep my father a secret. After the Auradonians fully accept us, we will tell that I am the child of two villains instead of one."

"But what about our parents?" Carlos questioned logically. "What are they going to do to us once they find out we went behind their backs?"

"Our parents can't reach us here," Mal insisted stubbornly, her eyes shining bright green to display her disobedience. "They are stuck on an island with a barrier around it, remember? After a couple years or so when Ben finally brings down the barrier, then we'll worry about their reaction."

Jay raised a concern eyebrow. "Do you think you can wait that long?"

"I'll have to," Mal claimed with a sadden sigh. "But maybe Ben will let me visit every now and then. I am his . . . girlfriend now. I think he's . . . he's what I need to move on."

"Can I go then?" Jay requested urgently while he made his way toward the door. "I really want to _celebrate_ with my boyfriend, if you get what I mean."

Snickering at his friend's promiscuous attitude, Mal instructed, "Go on! Enjoy your night with your lover boy. We'll see you at Family Day tomorrow; our first day of freedom!"

* * *

The next day at mid-afternoon, the sun shone over the rose garden as the Core Four observed the scene. Family Day was just beginning as Ben led some fellow classmates into singing a rendition of 'Be Our Guest', which the four were grateful that they didn't have to participate in. The song was just a little too cheery for their taste, but they will have to get used to it now.

The four friends slowly and almost reluctantly joined the others for the celebration. While most of the students danced with their families, Mal and her friends took a moment to enjoy all of the delectable food that was offered. Mal was particularly fond of strawberries especially since her first date with Ben. She had even sent a small bundle to her father a few days prior so Mallory could try the tasty fruit.

Once the little dance number was finished, those students went to search for their parents while Aziz headed straight for the Core Four. The Auradon thief greeted his Lost Boy with a simple, yet loving kiss, causing the trio to smile unconsciously at the couple's affection for one another.

"Are you ready?" Aziz questioned with a small soft smile.

"No," Jay admitted immediately. "But I can't keep them waiting. I just hope that they like me."

"I know they will," Aziz reassured while rolling his eyes dramatically. "I told them almost everything about you, so they practically know you already. Just try not to contradict what I said."

Chuckling softly at his beloved's words, Jay adverted his attention to his trio of friends. "You guys coming with?"

"Carlos and I are going to stay behind," Evie denied quickly because anyone could speak up. "He doesn't want Dude to over-react around Rajah. I'm going to stay with Carlos, so he isn't alone. We'll hang out with Doug or Lonnie while you're gone."

Somewhat satisfied that her other friends would be entertained while they were gone, Mal trailed after the couple to play the role of a supportive friend. Aziz lead them to an open area of the gardens where benches were placed here and there for visitors who needed a moment's rest. On one of the benches was none other than Queen Jasmine and her husband Aladdin. They didn't wear anything too fancy that would show off their royalty, only simple clothing that they would any other day. It was like they were reserved about their status and didn't want to brag. That couldn't be said about others. . .

Anyways, the reason why they opted to sit at the benches was because of an elderly tiger that couldn't stand long without growing tired. Poor Rajah laid at his owner's feet while he rested his head on her lap, looking up at her in sad, tired way. As the trio of teenagers came closer, they could visibly see Queen Jasmine sigh softly as she rubbed her loyal companion's.

"—shouldn't have brought him today," they managed to hear Queen Jasmine say. "We should have left him with Genie and Abu."

"Aziz wanted to see him," Aladdin reminded softly. "This may be his last chance. It won't be long before—"

"Mom!" Aziz purposely interrupted before he could hear the rest. "Dad. Here's my boyfriend, Jay, and his best friend Mal."

The parents' perked up at hearing their son's voice, smiling bravely at their 'surprise' visitors. "Nice to finally meet you," Jasmine greeted kindly, though it didn't reach her saddened eyes. "Aziz has told us nearly everything about you. We feel like I know you already."

"Aziz warned me about that," Jay joked in a way to break the tension. "I hope he didn't tell you too much."

"I'm sorry we're not too sociable today," Aladdin apologized with a soft sigh. "I'm afraid we won't be for quite some time."

"That's alright," Mal quickly reassured before anyone could get emotional. To change the subject, Mal went down on her knees to look at the tiger, commenting, "But I'd really like to know who this handsome kitty is."

Smiling softly at the fairy's vain attempt to keep the atmosphere upbeat, Jasmine informed, "This is Rajah, my best friend and loyalist companion."

"I'll be sure to tell Aunt Dalia," Aziz teased, though his playfulness didn't reach his eyes either.

Rajah, having heard the new voices so close to him, turned his head slightly to see the brave fairy before him. Curiosity plaguing his mind, the old tiger shifted his body so that his head now rested on the fairy's lap. A moment later he let gravity pull him down, so he was now laying on the ground.

Rajah purred happily when the fairy pet him in his favorite spot, the place behind his ear that he could never reach. Then he noticed the Isle thief standing next to the fairy, his hand really close but not close enough that the tiger could be petted. Raising his head off the comfortable lap, Rajah maneuvered his head forward so he would rub against the newbie.

Aziz allowed a small smile to emerge on his lips despite feeling so depressed. "Looks like Rajah likes both of you," he commented with his best happy tone at the moment. "And it looks like I made the right choice too. . ."

Trying her hardest to suppress her smile at the lovey-dovey comment about her best friend, Mal used the opportunity to stand back on her feet. "Well this has been fun," she insisted kindly, "but now it's Jay's turn to come with me to meet Ben's parents. We will definitely talk later today though."

Perking up at the name, Rajah shakily stood his feet and slowly followed the Isle duo. The two barely managed to take a step forward before they felt the young tiger push between the two of them so he could lead the way to the prince.

"Rajah has a soft spot for Ben," Jasmine informed with a sad sigh. "If you don't mind, can you take him with you? There's someone I need to speak with and I don't want him around. Besides, Rajah may become a little more energetic at seeing Ben."

"Of course!" Mal agreed immediately while petting the tiger's forehead in a way that made him purr again. "One of us will bring Rajah back to you or your husband soon."

* * *

"Rajah!" Ben greeted cheerily as the trio came closer to them.

The elderly tiger surged forward as best as he could and stood on his back legs to place his paws on the prince's shoulders. Ben merely chuckled when he was slightly pushed back by the animal's force, an act that would freak anyone else out. "You were always good at giving hugs," Ben commented as he helped the tiger stand back on his four paws. "If you behave for now, I'll see what I can do about giving you a treat."

Rajah purred at the prospects while rubbing his head against the prince's leg. Mal raised a curious eyebrow at the action. "He really does have a soft spot for you."

"That's because I spoil him every chance I get since I don't see him often," Ben informed as he kept a hand on the back of the tiger's neck. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous," Mal admitted with a bashful shrug. "But not as much as before. I think meeting Aziz's parents helped with that."

"Though we didn't talk much, they were accepting of us," Jay claimed with a relieved sigh. "Now I don't have anything to worry about with our relationship, except if someone walks in on us."

Snickering at the Isle thief's comment, Ben extended his free hand to his beloved girlfriend. "Ready?"

Taking in a deep breath to control her nerves, Mal graciously took the offered hand so she could steady herself. "Ready."

A short walk later, the three humans and gorgeous animal came face-to-face with the current King and Queen of Auradon, though their titles will be altered tomorrow. "Mom, Dad," Ben addressed with a short nod. "This is my beautiful girlfriend, Mal, and her best friend, Jay. They are both from the Isle."

"Hi," Queen Belle greeted with an uneasy laugh in her tone. "It's . . . so nice, to finally meet you."

"Hi," Mal replied uneasily as she slightly hid herself behind Ben, tightening her grip on Ben's hand to keep herself calm.

King Beast merely waved at the 'unknown' people—for lack of better word since author can't think clearly at the moment—but his simple, harmless act caught the attention of the old tiger. Rajah bared his teeth as he growled viciously at the king, believing he or at least someone close to him was being threatened.

Instinctively, King Beast stepped back with a disgruntle huff. "Why is that animal here?"

"He followed us after we met my boyfriend's parents," Jay informed as he lightly tugged on Rajah's collar to get him under control. "He was acting fine a few minutes ago."

"Rajah doesn't like Dad," Ben revealed somewhat reluctantly, "because Dad doesn't like Aziz."

Neither denying nor agreeing with the claim, King Beast raised an eyebrow at the earlier comment. " 'Boyfriend'?" he repeated slowly. "You are dating that _tapet—_"

"_Dad_," Ben chided sharply with a sharp glare. "Don't make me cause a scene. The last thing you want before the coronation is to have people rethink their opinion about you, especially when it is pertaining to your son's best friend."

King Beast narrowed his eyes at his son. "You would really ruin—"

"_Yes_," Ben interrupted abruptly and quite bravely. "I did it to someone I didn't give a shit about and I won't hesitate to do it to _you_."

King Beast clenched his jaw at his son's disobedient attitude and his use of vulgar language. The father was just about to scold his son for his inappropriate behavior when Aziz appeared out of nowhere, though clearly out of breath.

"Sorry to interrupt," Aziz apologized unsympathetically. "But I really need Ben. Mom's stubbornness is about to turn her conversation with a king and queen into a loud argument and possibly into a fight. Mom will walk away from it for Ben."

"I'll bring Rajah to help calm her," Ben reassured before either of his parents could intervene. "If you, Mal, and Jay go find Carlos and Evie, I'll meet you at the clearing and we can teach them to play croquet."

"I'll see if Lonnie wants to join us so we can play teams," Aziz added.

Satisfied with that last condition, Ben lightly kissed Mal's forehead to reassure her. "I'll be back soon," he promised quietly so the others couldn't hear him. "The clearing won't be crowded so you shouldn't have to worry about someone invading your personal space."

"Thank you," Mal mumbled.

"You don't have to thank me," Ben insisted while placing another kiss on her forehead. "I love you."

* * *

So, I won't go into deep details about Queen Jasmine's heated conversation since it's not that important.

I will say that it was with King Charming and Queen Cinderella. Jasmine wanted to speak about the fight between their sons a few days prior that resulted in the destruction of school property, but the Charmings blew her off. They claimed their son said that Aziz caused the fight that got Chad suspended for the week, but Jasmine _kindly _reminded them that the surveillance footage proved otherwise.

Long story short: Queen Jasmine declared that Agrabah would no longer do any business with Cinderellasburg. The people of Cinderellasburg would still be more than welcomed to visit Agrabah, but all members of the royal family are banned from Agrabah. That condition will only change when the Charmings' son apologizes to Queen Jasmine's son and all three finally shows some respect to the Arabian family.

Of course, King Charming started acting a little irate, insisting that Queen Jasmine can't make such a decision about the kingdom without her husband's approval. Queen Jasmine forcefully reminded that _she _was the Sultan of Agrabah, not her husband. All decisions regarding _her _kingdom was completely up to her and she does _not_ need the input of her husband for anything.

Before the situation could escalate anymore than it already had, Ben stepped in to break up the conversation. The prince was all smiles as he greeted Jasmine, completely ignoring the other queen and king. Ben and the always stoic Rajah managed to work together to get Queen Jasmine away from the married couple with no protest. Queen Jasmine reunited with her husband shortly after while Ben joined his friends in the croquet game.

So now we will put this story back on track before you lose interest; the author doesn't want her hard work to be for nothing!

The three Auradonians—Aziz, Ben, and Lonnie—taught the Core Four how the game was played and what exactly they needed to do to win the game. Carlos wasn't really interested in playing, so he opted to run around with Dude so there would be an even number of boys playing against the girls.

Mal couldn't believe that she was actually having fun with the 'boring' game. She was laughing and having a genuinely fun time, especially because she got to spend more time with her . . . boyfriend. Mal couldn't believe that she was really calling Ben that. Maybe he is—

"Hello there."

Mal instinctively flinched at hearing the voice that interrupted her thoughts. Still, the fairy kindly at the older woman in a pale pink suit. "Hi," Mal greeted sweetly.

"Now . . ." The woman trailed off as she circled around Mal to get a better view of her. "Have we met before?"

"No, I don't believe so," Mal politely denied with a light shake of her head. "I'm new. I transferred to Auradon Prep about a month ago."

"Well then, I am Queen Leah," the woman introduced as she extended her hand. "But you, young lady, may call me 'Leah'."

Though her smile faltered slightly at the name, Mal still shook hands with the royalty. "Mal," the fairy greeted respectively. "Nice to meet you."

Queen Leah hesitated for a moment before she ran a hand through the tips of the fairy's natural purple hair. "What a beautiful color," Leah genuinely complimented. The royal paused in her action when she noticed the way the student tensed up. "Is something wrong?"

"I-I don't like people in my personal space," Mal stuttered as she took a step back, out of reach of the old woman. "I was involved in an incident at my home kingdom that made me that way. I'm sorry if that offends you."

"I'm sorry that I wasn't considerate," Queen Leah apologized with a kind smile. "I assumed my action was acceptable since you shook my hand. If I am ever too close, just let me know. You won't offend me when you are only trying to make yourself comfortable, but I do have a question, if you don't mind me asking."

"Of course!" Mal insisted politely. "As long as it is nothing too personal. I don't like when people try to pry into my personal life."

"Of course," Queen Leah agreed understandably. "But I was curious . . . where did you say you were from again?"

"The . . . Isle of the Lost," Mal admitted reluctantly in fear that the woman would freak on her. "My three friends and I were given a chance to live in Auradon because of my . . . boyfriend's proclamation."

"Oh!" Queen Leah exclaimed in recognition. "You're Prince Ben's new girlfriend! My grand-daughter said you were hideous, but you are absolutely beautiful! She must have been jealous by your good looks. I can't believe Maleficent could have a daughter as gorgeous as you "

Mal sighed at the particular name. "You knew who I was?"

"Before I even approached you," Queen Leah concurred with her smile still intact. "I wanted to see how you would react to me as a stranger then as someone you vaguely knew. I must say, I am impressed by how respectful you were. Your mother taught you well."

"More like my father," Mal corrected with a careless shrug. "When my parents divorced, my mother forced me to stay with her and I could only see my father on the weekends at his place. A couple years ago, I finally began to live with my father and my mother didn't care if I visited her. In fact, she and I got into an argument over video chat yesterday, so I don't think we are on speaking terms."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Queen Leah commented as her smile faltered. "Do you mind if I ask who your father is? I know your mother wouldn't trust a human again, let alone marry one."

"True," Mal agreed with a soft sigh. "But my mother wanted me to keep him a secret from the Auradon people. Though we are not seeing eye to eye at the moment, I still need to respect her wishes."

"That is very admirable of you," Queen Leah complimented. "I must say, I have only spoken with you for a few moments, but you are much better for Prince Ben than Audrey. Our family knew she was cheating on Prince Ben for quite some time. Every time I spoke with her, she promised she would end things with him, but it never happened. I'm afraid Audrey was more focused on becoming 'Queen of Auradon' than actually having a relationship."

"Why did she cheat?" Mal wondered curiously. "I don't know Chad well, but I do know that he is nowhere near the description of a prince, not to mention he is blatantly disrespectful to anyone and everyone."

"I know what you mean, but I can't give you a reason." Queen Leah sighed in disappointment. "But I do know it started at a Halloween party during their eighth-grade year. Prince Ben didn't want to go because his grandfather, Maurice, would be visiting early the next morning. I believe someone had managed to sneak alcohol into the party and then there was some underage drinking going on, which led to Audrey having sexual intercourse with Prince Chad. I thought she would have learned her lesson the first time, but I was sadly mistaken when I saw those leaked messages."

Mal tilted her head curiously at a particular phrase. " 'Learned her lesson'?" she repeated in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well after the first time, Audrey got herself on birth control to prevent it from happening again." Queen Leah shook her head in dismay. "I was completely against what she did. It was so heartless and cruel."

"What did she do?" Mal urged. "What happened?"

"Audrey became pregnant with Prince Chad's baby," Queen Leah confessed with a soft sigh. "Instead of keeping the child like I vehemently suggested, she had an abortion."

.

.

.

.

.

.

. . .there were no words to describe the horrible feeling that went through Mal at hearing that word.

The fairy has only ever said that word _once _in her entire life, and that was only when she fought _against _the idea of having one herself. Hearing that word brought back all of her anger, all of her fear, all of her anguish, and all of her disgust that Mal experienced in the proceeding days of when she was taken advantage. Hearing that a teenager the same age as her, became pregnant the same time as her, but aborted her baby _horrified_ Mal.

Mal had her mouth paused in an open-mouth gasp that wouldn't come out. The fairy's bottom lip was quivering so badly that the queen wanted to do something to comfort her, but she wasn't what to do due to the fairy's personal space issue. Queen Leah was just about to ask the fairy if there was anything she could do for her—

But then her spoiled grand-daughter appeared, smiling like everything was perfect in the world.

Then, Audrey's smile formed into a frown at seeing Mal, not once noticing her distraught reaction. "What are you doing here?"

"Audrey," Queen Leah scolded. "Don't be rude. She and I were having a pleasant conversation before I upset her."

Obviously, Audrey scoffed at the claim. "Grammy, do you know who she is? She's—"

"A very respectful young woman," Queen Leah interrupted forcefully. "A young lady who chose to be kind instead of causing a scene like I could have done. You know, you could really learn a thing or two from her."

Mal slowly shook her head in disbelief at the other teenager. "How could you willingly lose your baby?"

Audrey shot a dirty look at her grand-mother. "You told _her_?"

"I thought you were telling everyone after that fiasco last week," Queen Leah retorted. "It's about time that you told the truth about _something_."

"How could you!" Mal repeated near hysterically, catching some unwanted attention by bystanders. "That child was your _baby_! Your daughter or son that you should love unconditionally! How could you . . .?"

Audrey scoffed at the fairy's way of lecturing her. "I was way too young to have a kid," the princess insisted with a careless shrug. "I would have been fifteen by the time I gave birth to it—"

"_They_," Mal corrected automatically.

"_It_," Audrey retorted dramatically to push the fairy's buttons. "And I didn't want my reputation to be ruined by _it_. I never wanted kids, so I had no problems killing _it_. Besides, it's my body. I can do whatever I want—"

"That is a _bullshit_!" Mal insulted before she turned attention to the shocked queen. "I apologize for my language, Leah. I _passionately_ believe that if a life is conceived, they deserve to live, no matter the circumstances that created them. Even if she's the mother, Audrey had no right to take her child's life just because she didn't want her or him. Her child had the _right _to live while Audrey had no right play the role of a god."

"I understand, sweetie," Queen Leah reassured softly. "I feel the same as you, but right now I'm more worried about _you_. You look as though you're about to have an emotional break-down. What can I do for you?"

Though she was surprised by the royalty's compassion, Mal was even more surprised when a certain someone's name appeared in her mind first. "I-I need B—"

"HEY!"

To make matters worse, Chad Fucking Charming stormed over toward the three women, catching the attention of every single guest. The prince obnoxiously stood in front of the grandmother-granddaughter duo, causing Mal to instinctively step backwards. "What do you think you're doing?" he interrogated hotly. "Stay away from them, freak!"

Luckily, at that very same moment, the fairy's knight in shining armor appeared next to her. The first thing she did was lean her head on his shoulder and laid a hand on his chest, keeping her teary-eyed gaze on the trio. Completely confused by her emotional state, Ben, her loving boyfriend, cautiously wrapped his arms around her waist, making sure to keep the connection light in case she gets uncomfortable or needs to break away quickly.

"What's going on here?" Ben questioned in a calm tone, the complete opposite reaction of the previous prince.

"It's a misunderstanding," Queen Leah insisted pleadingly. "Mal and I were having a pleasant conversation until I upset her by mentioning Audrey's—"

"Grammy," Audrey chided with a scowl on her features. "Don't—"

"Abortion," Leah finished stubbornly, "of Prince Chad's baby."

The crowd around them gasped dramatically at the news while Mal buried her head into her boyfriend's shoulder to hide her emotions from the world at hearing that dreadful word again. Though the revelation infuriated him, Ben needed to keep his attention on girlfriend.

"You're okay," Ben reassured his beloved as he kissed her forehead lovingly. "Nothing's going to hurt you. Just remember, I love you."

"How can you say that to someone like her?" Chad spat in disgust. "Did she put a love spell on you—"

"You can't put a love spell on someone that's already in love," Ben declared over the snotty prince's question. "And you need to learn some respect, especially to her and her friends."

"No way!" Chad denied arrogantly. "Ben, they were raised by their _parents_! What do you think they are taught? One is a thief that likes to hurt people, one is a gold-digger and a cheater, and another has such bad anxiety issues that he constantly needs the campus therapy dog. Meanwhile she"—he pointed at Mal, who was staring back at him—"has such bad emotional issues that she should be locked up in a psych ward!"

Ben glared at the disrespectful prince, gritting his teeth to keep _something_ hidden. "_Watch_ your tongue," he warned through a growl. "You don't know what she's been through in her life."

"And you do?" Chad bravely challenged.

Ben hesitated, unsure if he should tell the truth or lie to keep his girlfriend's secret a secret. Before he could make that decision, Jay suddenly appeared to save the day. "I'll take her away from here," the Isle thief volunteered. "I can calm her down and you can check on her in a bit."

With a small nod, Ben kissed Mal's forehead one last time before reluctantly allowing her gay best friend to take her away. Before either one could get too far, Chad stupidly grabbed Mal's wrist. "Hold on a—"

_BAM!_

The audience once again gasped dramatically as the spoiled prince was knocked to the ground, clutching his most likely broken jaw. Mal towered over him, trembling from rage as she tightened her clenched fist. "Don't you _EVER _touch me _AGAIN_!" Mal threatened, practically screaming the emphasized words.

Choosing to not pay attention to everyone's reaction, the fairy once again twirled on her heels to be taken away from the fiasco she created.


	23. Chapter 23

An hour or so later on the very same day, the Core Four were sitting at the picnic area during lunch time. None of them really spoke since there was a tense atmosphere around them. The three friends thought it was best to keep quiet so Mal could have a few moments of peace to control her emotions. Within a few minutes she was back to her 'normal' attitude, though she was picking at her food in disgust, still too glum to eat anything.

Everything was actually pretty boring at the moment—

Until someone decided to break the quietness.

"Mal, you are my hero!" Aziz proclaimed while taking the vacant seat across from her at the picnic table. "If I was straight and you weren't dating my best friend, I'd definitely kiss you."

Jay, who was sitting on the table's edge, raised an offended eyebrow at his boyfriend. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, you know I love you," Aziz insisted in a teasing tone. "I'm just so happy!"

"What exactly are you happy about?" Mal curiously interrogated. "All I did was have a mental breakdown and punched Chad."

"Exactly! You broke his jaw!" Aziz exclaimed cheerily. "One of the parents that came today is a doctor and they said a bracket is going to have to be installed until the bones fuse back together, which could take up to eight weeks! That means the bastard can't play Tourney for that long! His parents may make that time even longer!"

Evie, who was seated next to the Auradon thief, tilted her head curiously at the last statement. "Why is that? I thought his parents believed his every word."

"They _used_ to," Aziz corrected, his cheery attitude suddenly changing into a more saddened one. "It turns out, his family knew about him seeing Audrey behind Ben's back, but had no idea about the baby. They were _pissed _when Queen Leah told them the truth, because she was the only one they believed. They were scolding the bastard so harshly that I didn't think they had it in them. I think his parents are considering having him castle-schooled, but I doubt they would want to do that since it means they would have to put up with his lazy ass all day."

"Aziz," Jay scolded when Evie visibly flinched at the vulgar language, "at least try to control your mouth around Evie. She was castle-schooled most of her life. She isn't used to teenagers cursing whenever they please."

"She'll get used to it if she's around me," Aziz joked to try to uplift the teenagers' spirits. "But I _guess _I can tone it down. That means I'm going to be a little more vulgar tonight, if you get what I mean."

"Speaking of that, how have you not been caught yet?" Carlos genuinely wondered from his place across from Evie and a foot distance away from Mal. "It seems like every other night I'm alone in our room, especially on weekends. Does nobody in the neighboring rooms hear you or . . . ?"

"Ben's dorm-room is soundproof," Aziz revealed with a careless shrug. "But to be on the safe side, I moved my bed away from the wall after our first, so it didn't bang against it. Nobody's complained yet, so I don't think we're being loud enough."

"I can change that tonight," Jay boldly offered, much to the amusement of his boyfriend but the disgust of his lady friends.

"Guys," Mal chided with a scowl. "I'm trying to eat here."

"You haven't touched anything," Aziz retorted while stealing a random food item off her tray. "But I will for ya!"

Chuckling softly, the fairy pushed her plate forward so the Auradon thief could continue eating her food. In fact, the other two boys believed it was free game, so they dug into the plate as well. Everything was gone in the matter of a couple minutes. By the time they cleaned the plate, Ben came walking toward the five, looking as though he had a heavy weight on his shoulders.

"Hey guys," Ben greeted as he clasped his hands. "How is everyone?"

"Amused, but disgusted," Evie answered with a shake of her head.

"Aziz and Jay told us a little too much information about their life at night," Mal enlightened with a light shrug. "Then they and Carlos stole my food."

"You gave it to us," Carlos corrected, "_and _you didn't stop us."

Smiling at the playful banter between the friends, Ben reluctantly had to break up the little party. "Aziz, your parents are looking for you," he informed. "They are about to head back to your home kingdom."

"Why?" Aziz interrogated defensively. "They'll miss your coronation—"

"They are taking Rajah home," Ben interrupted calmly. "They know they are going to miss it and they are giving me their best wishes. Your mother offered their spots at the coronation to Evie and Carlos, that way they aren't by complete strangers."

Huffing in annoyance, Aziz grumbled, "I better tell them 'bye'."

Reluctantly standing from his seat, the Auradon thief stole a kiss from his Lost Boy before he trudged off to meet his parents. Meanwhile, Ben knelt before his beloved—since she was sitting at the edge of the seat—and cautiously took her hand in his. "Are you alright?" he wondered softly as he rubbed soothing circles on her hand. "Do I need to do anything for you?"

"I'm fine," Mal replied in a small, timid tone. "Just needed some fresher air and to take a walk."

"If you need _anything_, I'm here for you," Ben reassured kindly. "In fact . . ."

The prince trailed off as he removed the gold ring on his finger. "This ring was given to me by my father when I started Auradon Prep." Ben offered it to his beloved. "I want _you _to wear it tomorrow during the coronation and every day afterwards; that way you will always remember that _I _will always love you, no matter what."

Taken away by the raw emotion in his declaration, Mal lifted her hand so Ben could slip the ring on her finger, who kissed her hand lovingly.

Maybe . . . one day . . . Mal would gain the courage to tell him the full story of what transpired on that dreadful day.

* * *

Obviously, you all know that after Ben leaves the Core Four, Audrey and Jane walks by their table to taunt Mal a bit. We all know that out of spite, Mal spells Jane's gorgeous long hair back to its original, short bland state. There is really no need for me to go into detail about their encounter since nothing changes, right?

Instead, we are going to move forward to the next day, to the coronation.

BUT . . .

We are going to the Isle for the next few minutes!

After watching the future king ask their Mal to the coronation, the entire Isle was beaming with excitement at the thought of seeing one of their own at such a royal event. Their eagerness grew even higher when it was revealed that all four would be at the coronation, and will have a good view of the occasion.

On that day, Hades made sure his grand-daughter had plenty of sleep in the morning so she would be well rested when she watched the coronation. This was the perfect opportunity for Mallory to see her mother, though it couldn't be vice versa. Mallory has been missing her mother a lot lately, but Hades didn't want to tell Mal for fear that she would give up her new life in Auradon. The best thing for Mallory was—

"Momma!" Mallory shouted as she pointed at the screen. "Dada!"

Interrupted from his thoughts, Hades jerked his head toward the television set, where his grand-baby sat only three feet away.

On the screen, a horse drawn carriage was trotting toward the front of a cathedral. His Mali looked absolutely beautiful in her light purple dress with her hair placed in a fancy bun, her hair looking awfully pink in the Auradon sunlight. Sitting next to his beloved daughter was none other than Prince Ben, who would become king in just a few more minutes. He was dressed in a royal blue suit that demonstrated his royalty and showed off his handsomeness. Hades never thought he would see his Mal look so much like a princess while guests threw flower petals and confetti at them. Sometimes, Hades forgets that he is a king, which did make his daughter princess.

But maybe . . . one day . . . she could become a queen.

* * *

Once the carriage stopped at the steps of the cathedral, footmen opened the doors for the couple. Ben quickly jumped out first before offering a helping hand to Mal, knowing she wouldn't trust strangers to touch her. Once fully out of the carriage, the two slowly made their way up the cathedral stairs, the enormous cape of Mal's dress trailing on the steps behind them. Trumpets blared from both sides of the couples as they approached King Beast and Queen Belle.

At the top of the staircase, Mal respectfully bowed to the royals. "I'm sorry," she immediately apologized, "about yesterday. I may have over-reacted—"

"You did nothing wrong," Ben reassured before his beloved could think little of herself. "You had the right to react the way you did. Chad shouldn't have grabbed you the way he did."

"Let's not think about that for now," Queen Belle suggested softly, though there was a slight forcefulness to her tone. "It's a special day, after all. We don't want to make this happy day sour by remembering something from the past."

"We'll meet you inside," King Beast insisted before he dragged his wife off, not bothering to stay to listen to the teenagers' response.

When they were alone, an attendant offered his hand so he could lead Mal away. The fairy hesitated, tensing up when the man was just trying to do his job. "It's alright," Ben comforted quietly. "He won't do anything to you. I promise."

After the prince placed a loving kiss on her forehead to keep her calm, Mal took in a shallow, shaky breath before allowing the attendant to lead her into the cathedral. Most of the guests whispered behind her back after she walked pass them, gossiping about what she did to Chad Charming the day before. Ignoring those around them, her friends smiled kindly as Mal walked by to give her some reassurance. Jay and Carlos jokingly bowed to her, causing the fairy to snicker and uplift her nervous mood.

Once she was at her position close to the front of the stage, Mal patiently waited for the event to begin, though she was hoping it would end quick. A few short moments later, a hesitant hand was placed on her shoulder. "Mal?"

Perking up slightly, Mal turned to give the queen a kind smile. "Leah," she greeted with a small curtsy. "You look wonderful today."

"And _you_, young lady, look like a princess," Queen Leah complimented while reciprocating the smile. "You are so beautiful. It's a shame that so many choose to be jealous of your looks instead of appreciate your natural beauty."

Mal's smile grew wider and more genuine at the compliments. "You don't know how much I needed to hear that," the fairy claimed with a soft sigh. "I've been pessimistic of myself since yesterday. Hearing your nice words really cheers me up. Thank you."

"There's no need for that," Leah persisted with a stubbornness to her tone. "I meant every word."

Before the retired queen could say more, the choir started singing, signaling the start of the event. "I better return to my family," Queen Leah insisted before her smile returned to her lips. "Though I do want to say, his ring looks very fitting on you."

The fairy's smile grew larger than it ever has at hearing such flattery, though she had no time to thank the queen since she melded back into the crowd to join her family.

In the next moment, the cathedral doors opened, allowing Prince Ben to walk through and down the long aisle. Unlike what they did for Mal, the audience respectfully bowed as the young prince walked by. Mal watched her beloved from the front row as he moved further down.

Sparing a brief second to glance and smile at his girlfriend, Ben approached the stage where Fairy Godmother and his parents awaited him with the wand. While Ben knelt before them, Fairy Godmother lifted the crown from King Beast's head and placed it on his son's head. Next, King Beast lifted the glass bell jar so Queen Belle could hand the wand to Fairy Godmother.

With the wand in the headmistress's hand, the choir stopped singing. The entire cathedral went silent as they anticipate the next few moments.

Holding out the wand in front of her, Fairy Godmother questioned for all in the cathedral to hear, "Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of Auradon with justice and mercy as long as you shall reign?"

Taking in a deep breath to calm his, Ben proudly declared, "I do solemnly swear."

"Then it is my honor," Fairy Godmother began as she motioned her wand in a way that looked like she was knighting Ben, "and my joy to bless our new king—"

* * *

Obviously, you know what happens next.

_Someone _steals the wand from Fairy Godmother's hand and the power of the magical item overwhelms her so much that a shot of sparks emits from it. A bolt of lightning crashes through the cathedral's stained-glass window, inadvertently breaking the magic barrier on the Isle of the Lost.

And we all know that the 'mystery' person is Jane, Fairy Godmother's very own daughter.

"If you won't make me beautiful, I'll do it myself!" Jane defiantly shouted as she struggled to gain control of the wand, its powers rocking her viciously.

Deciding to continue the change of roles, Mal bravely surged forward to play the part of the hero. With almost no effort, Mal pried the wand out of the hands of the younger teenager, wielding it like a mighty sword. Frightful for what may happen to her, Jane hid behind some people in the audience to avoid the fairy.

Mal scoffed as the audience cautiously watched her. "Don't act so scared," she snapped quite rudely. "I have no use for the wand, because I choose good."

As Mal made a move to hand the powerful object back to its owner, a window shatter unexpectedly, causing some to scream and others to gasp. Green smoke filled the room as a green light floated through the broken window and landed just a few feet in front of Mal.

Mal rolled her eyes dramatically, sighing as the smoke dissipated. "Go away, Mother. No one wants you here, especially me."

Straightening to full height, Maleficent raised a sinister eyebrow at her daughter. "What a cruel thing to say to your mother." She extended her free hand expectantly. "Give me the wand."

Instead of doing as her mother wished, Mal tossed the wand to Fairy Godmother. As soon as the headmistress caught it, Maleficent slammed her scepter on the ground, freezing everyone except the Core Four, who all huddled together in the middle of the aisle.

"Nice try, Baby Girl," Maleficent complimented as she easily stole the wand from the frozen Fairy Godmother, which sparked in protest. "But I win. _Again_."

"When have you ever won anything?" Mal bravely challenged. "You lost your chance of revenge when the spell on Aurora was broken. You lost your magic when you were sent to the Isle of the Lost. You lost Dad because you couldn't get over what happened in the past. You lost your trust in him, yet he still loves you! You stopped loving me, your own daughter, so you lost _me._"

Maleficent scoffed at her daughter's rambling. "Love is _ridiculous._ It makes you weak."

"No, it doesn't!" Mal argued as tears started to well up in her eyes. "Love makes me stronger because I know people care about me and will do anything for me. Love gave me the courage to stand up to you. Love is the reason that I command, wand to my hand!"

The last statement completely caught Maleficent off guard, especially when the wand willingly flew out of her hand and into her daughter's. While her daughter and her friends reveled in the small victory, Maleficent used the opportunity to transform into a massive, dark purple dragon to prove a point. The evil fairy couldn't help enjoying the sound of the Core Four's gasps as they instinctively stepped backwards. She roared ferociously, swiveling her scaly hand as she prepared to attack.

Courageously, Mal stepped forward to keep herself between her friends and her mother, clutching the wand tightly in her hand. "Leave my friends out of this," she demanded forcefully. "This is between you and me, _Maleficent_."

The dragon bent her head level to Mal, meeting her daughter's gaze to prove that she was more powerful.

Eyes flashing vibrant green, Mal stood fearless as she chanted, "_The strength of evil is good as none, when stand before four hearts as one_!"

Mal repeated the enchantment a few more times, determined to claim the victory. Usually, Mal always lost the stare-downs she would have with her mother.

But this time was different.

In the very moment that Mal thought she was going to lose, the mighty dragon blinked. The wing creature let out a strangled cry as billowing smoke surrounded her once again. Once the smoke vanished, so did the dragon.

The Core Four were complete astonished by the turn of events. As they hurried down the aisle, Carlos questioned slightly breathlessly, "What just happened?"

"Did you do it?" Evie interrogated her best friend.

"I don't know!" Mal shouted before stopping just a couple feet away from a purple lizard that was there before.

In a way that makes absolutely no sense, Fairy Godmother magically unfroze with no explanation to how that happened in the movie. Once she regained her wits, the headmistress ran to meet the children.

"It wasn't you. It was your mother," Fairy Godmother gently reassured. "She shrank to the size of the . . . love in her heart."

"So, she really has no love for me," Mal mused to herself. Crouching to get a better look at the lizard, she wondered, "Is she going to be like this forever?"

"Forever is a long time," Fairy Godmother commented before offering a kind and comforting smile. "If you learned to love, can she too."

Exhaling a breath she didn't know she was holding, Mal held out the magic wand to Fairy Godmother. "I believe this belongs to you."

With a wave of her wand, the spell was broken on those who attended the coronation. After being given a short explanation, Ben cautiously stepped toward his beloved. "Mal?" He greeted uncertainly. "Are you alright?"

"I will be," Mal promised with a soft sigh. "Just need a little time to get over this . . . and what happened to me on the island. Forgive and forget, right?"

"Some things you can't forgive," Ben claimed stubbornly, almost like he knew what she was referring. Before Mal could think too deeply on what he meant, he quickly, "But I admire that you want to do so."

Mal practically swoon when the new king kissed her forehead lovingly, though she couldn't enjoy the moment since she caught sight of a mother scolding her daughter. "I'll be right back," she mumbled, walking off before she could hear a response.

"I love you," Fairy Godmother informed her daughter, though she pointed her wand near threateningly at her, "but you are on a _major_ time-out."

"Don't be too hard on Jane," Mal intervened before Fairy Godmother could punish her daughter. "I was the one who put all that crazy stuff in her head." She locked eyes with a humiliated Jane. "You are beautiful, inside and out. Believe me: a mother knows best for her daughter."

Jane smiled kindly at the fairy before Fairy Godmother led her away to discuss her punishment.

As the fairy turned to head back to the new king, Mal caught sight of an attendant placing the bell jar over the lizard so she couldn't escape. Mal sighed disappointingly, knowing it would be a while before her mother returned to normal.

_And _before she could see her daughter again.


	24. Chapter 24

You may know what happens next, but I am going to summarize a few things for you since there's been a few changes that you aren't aware about.

Although it was established that six months had passed in the original tale, over a _year _has passed in this reiteration. In fact, it was almost the end of Mal's junior year of high school. With it being mid-March, it was everyone's first week back to school after spring break.

Well . . . almost.

There were a couple students that haven't come back to school yet, but that will be explained later on.

For now, I will inform you that Mal's appearance has changed dramatically since the last you've seen her. She started to wear prissier clothing to fit in with the Auradon crowd and grew out her hair to near waist length, enchanting it so it was now ice-blond with purple tips. Through the daily letters that she still received from father, the fairy learned that her father disliked her new appearance. He preached nearly every other letter that she didn't have to change who she was to fit in since so many Auradonians already like her for who she is. When asked if Mallory liked her appearance, Hades remained silent, giving Mal the impression that her baby girl didn't like her change either.

But this was _for _Mallory.

The quicker Mal and the rest of the Core Four are accepted by the Auradonians, the quicker the barrier over the island will be removed.

And the quicker Mal could be reunited with her daughter.

Before we can continue the story, there is still a few things I need to tell you regarding the rest of the Core Four.

Carlos grew out his hair and grew out of his shy phase, though he is working up the courage to ask Jane to the upcoming cotillion—something I'll speak about later. Evie started a new clothing business called Evie4Hearts and plans to use the profits of the money to buy herself a castle. Jay became the captain of R.O.A.R.—a sword fighting sport, to put it simply—and has recently spent his spare time working for Evie to get some money in his pocket. Due to an unfortunate circumstance within his boyfriend's family, Jay has been saving up his money to . . .

Wait! I don't want to spoil anything just yet.

For now, I will tell you about cotillion!

Since Mal has been dating Ben for quite some time now, a royal event is to take place to make her 'Lady Mal' and part of the royal court. Hades warned his daughter during the beginning stages of planning that the cotillion was basically an engagement to be engaged, making Mal somewhat hesitant to go along with the event. Don't get her wrong: she does care a lot for Ben. She just isn't ready to marry yet, especially since she still has her daughter on the island.

Originally, Audrey was supposed to assist Mal with the cotillion since she is head of the planning committee, but the princess 'suddenly' had a two-week spa vacation with the three fairies that conveniently wouldn't end until the day _after _cotillion. Jane was placed in charge of helping Mal, though it seemed more like unintentional harassment with all the interrogations the fairy goes through every day.

Nonetheless, despite having her hands full with cotillion, Mal still had to attend her daily classes while playing the role of the perfect Auradon girlfriend to King Ben.

As of now, the Core Four were headed to their next class together. Mal kept her head down as she walked beside Evie, who was the epitome of fashion in her blue dress and blue box purse. Jay and Carlos took the lead as Carlos had hold of Dude on a leash. Fellow students milled about as the four friends climbed the stairs to the breezy outdoor patio.

"Have you heard from Aziz today?" Carlos wondered to get a conversation started.

"Only for a few minutes," Jay informed with a sadden sigh. "It's going to be any day now. Aziz is afraid that if he leaves Agrabah, _he_ will be gone."

"So, he's going to miss cotillion?" Evie naturally assumed.

"He will be back only for that day," Jay corrected as his own mood slowly became gloomier at the thought of not seeing his boyfriend for a while longer. "Aziz is going to grab all the school-work he missed so far, go to cotillion for a couple hours, then head back home to Agrabah. He will be back in school at Auradon Prep soon."

Mal perked up at the information, mainly because she heard slightly different. "That's not what he told Ben," she argued softly. "Jay . . . Aziz is—"

"Mal!"

The fairy snapped to attention, plastering a fake smile on her pale features when Jane magically appeared. She has changed only slightly due to her hair 'growing' so it was much longer than before. Since Jane was here, it meant more questions about cotillion right about—

"Hey, Jane," Carlos greeted nervously, unwittingly distracting the eager girl for the fairy, but his confidence was slipping away from him. "I was wondering . . . if you . . . uh . . . liked the carrot cake last night?"

"I had the pumpkin pie," Jane corrected sweetly, a bit confused by the question.

"Oh. Cool." Carlos stared at her, unsure of what to say next to impress her. "Um . . . I'm gonna go."

Before another word could be said, Carlos scurried off like a cowardly dog, causing Jay to snicker at his friend's misery while Evie went after him to cheer him up. Now, before Jane could start her usual interrogations with Mal, Ben suddenly appeared behind the two remaining Core Four.

"Hi, Mal," Ben greeted as he gave his beloved a soft kiss to her forehead, the only kind of affection he could give her without her tensing up on him. Afterwards, Ben adverted his attention to his best friend's boyfriend. "Jay, I have the list for you," he informed. "It's in my school office. They are out of your range now, but, after cotillion, you should have enough."

"That is perfect," Jay quickly reassured. "I still plan on waiting a couple months to get one."

"Get . . . what?" Mal wondered, as she was out of the loop with the situation.

"A gift for Aziz," Jay slightly fibbed with a careless shrug. "I just thought he needed something to cheer him up with his family's issue. It's nothing big."

"I beg to differ," Ben argued good-naturedly. "Aziz is going to be so happy that he's going to want to marry you sooner than he already does."

Obviously, Mal's and Jay's jaws dropped at the . . . _interesting_ revelation. Eyes going wide, Jay rhetorically wondered, "He wants to what—?"

"Quick moment!" Jane conveniently interrupted, pulling Ben to the side before he could spoil any more of the plot.

* * *

"Alright, the surprise for Mal is almost finished," Jane informed Ben once they were out of earshot. She held her trusty tablet and showed him images of a stained-glass window that had a young happy couple on it, better description to come in later chapters.

"Make sure her eyes are green," Ben requested, wanting to make sure _his _gift for Mal was perfect. "And did you talk to your mother about—"

"Ben?" Mal called to get the king's attention. "Are you coming to class with us?"

"I'll catch up in a minute," Ben reassured, moving his attention back to Jane once the best-friend couple headed off to the classroom without him.

"I did," Jane answered the unfinished question, sighing slightly dramatically. "Mom is still adamant that there be no travel during the school year with the exception of vacations, no matter how homesick Mal may be. The perfect time to plan her visiting the Isle would have been last week during spring break. Mom is only making an exception for Aziz because of his family issue. Speaking of that, has Aziz told Jay—?"

"Not yet," Ben claimed with a sigh of his own. "He's going to wait until cotillion to break the bad news, but plans on evening it out with some good."

"Well, which green should the artist use for Mal's gift?" Jane wondered as she showed a few rectangular pieces of stained glass, all shades of green that were nearly identical.

"Um . . ." Ben looked through the shards before picking out the darkest green. "This one." He stared through it dreamingly, clearly imagining that he was staring straight into his beloved's eyes.

Although he wished to give her two gifts, this one will have to do.


	25. Chapter 25

R.O.A.R. practice for Jay has become a lot less fun since his boyfriend wasn't with him, especially since Aziz was the whole reason he joined the team and worked his ass off to become captain. Jay really wished he had decided to join the team last year since it made intimate nights with Aziz a lot more . . . _fun_.

But that's all that will be said about _that_ for the moment.

Although Aziz has been gone for less than two weeks, Jay still found himself growing more miserable with every practice that he led. Since Ben quit due to his royal duties, that left Jay and Aziz being the best players on the team. The couple would spar against their teammates first before going against each other to get themselves better competition, but they have admitted to their friends that they make bets about what position they would take that night if they won or lost the match.

Now that Aziz was temporarily gone from the team and out of Auradon Prep, Jay admittedly grew depressed at not seeing his _albi_—or his heart, if you prefer the English translation—every day. His attitude was becoming gloomier with every passing day that they were a part and his friends definitely noticed. Jay practically begged them not to say anything to Aziz, so the Auradon thief wouldn't come back to school just for the Lost Boy when he is in the middle of family emergency.

To top it all off: no one on the R.O.A.R. team could match Jay's skills like Aziz could.

Until today.

Since Tourney was having its off-season, the athletes took up new blue-and-gold uniforms displaying the school's crest to play the 'new' sport. This sport consisted of them sparing with light-weight swords and wearing mesh masks to protect their faces. R.O.A.R. was basically the extreme version of fencing as the sparred within an indoor arena.

On this particular day, students decided to watch from behind a railing and from balconies above as Jay sparred with other masked opponents, the first being Carlos so he could improve on his skills quicker. Other members of the team jumped on blue-and-yellow concrete boxes evenly spaced around the perimeter of the arena to gain height for their attack. Chad Charming—having been the first one eliminated—looked on from the sidelines, motioning with his sword to try to match Jay's agile moves.

I know what you're probably thinking: why is Chad still at Auradon Prep and why is he on the team?

As some had predicted, his parents didn't want to deal with him being castle-schooled so he remained at Auradon Prep, but this time with restrictions. With everything he did last year, Chad had to face quite a few repercussions. Due to him constantly sneaking Audrey into his room, Chad now has a roommate and a camera is placed outside his door and Audrey's to make sure neither one sneaks into the other's room. Chad lost his spot on the Tourney team since his parents stopped paying for it, but sadly that can't be the said for R.O.A.R. _Somehow _Chad has enough skills for the new sport and managed to keep a spot on the team, though he is still the worst player on the team.

Jay fought each of his opponents, forcing them to move out of bounds when they were eliminated. They each removed their masks from the sidelines as they watched Jay face his last competitor. The masked opponent thrust their sword at Jay, narrowly missing him by a hair. Jay removed his mask to get a better view of the situation, half hoping the person was who he thought it was.

It was a completely even match as the two fought, sword striking sword with every passing moment. There was only a pause when pushed against one another, but they were right back at it in the next second. Before Jay could realize what was happening, the masked figure ripped his sword from his hand, battling Jay backwards to the rim of the arena. The Lost Boy skillfully kicked his opponent's hand, sending the sword back into his own hand.

Before Jay could make another agile move, the 'mystery' fencer pulled off their headgear to end the fight. A mane of shiny, smooth raven hair cascading out, revealing the person to be none other than Lonnie. Though Jay was upset that it wasn't who he believed it was, he still managed an impressed smile as the spectators applauded the revelation.

"Not bad," Jay complimented sincerely. "You're just as good as me and Aziz."

"You should put me on the team then," Lonnie insisted with a confident smile. "I heard you're in the need of players."

While Jay considered the idea, Chad arrogantly stepped into the arena. "That can't happen," he refuted sourly. "Haven't you read the rules?"

Fishing the rule-book out of his back pocket, the still-spoiled prince snobbishly recited, " 'A team shall be comprised of a captain and eight men!' " He held the book in the air so all the other students could see it, before lowering it in front of Jay's face.

"But you're down two men. Ben is busy being a king and Aziz won't be back," Lonnie argued, annoyed at the silly and sexist rule.

However, the fierce woman didn't realize that she revealed something that one had no idea about.

"What are you talking about?" Jay wondered while shaking his head in denial. "He will be back in a couple weeks."

Lonnie tensed up at the information, realizing she made a mistake. "Aziz hasn't told you?" She interrogated incredulously. "With Rajah's passing being any day now, his mother has grown depressed and people are afraid it will be worse when he's gone, especially since she is already grieving so much with the death of the head of her royal guard. After cotillion, Aziz is going to stay in Agrabah for the rest of the semester to help his mother rule. This is kind of like a trial run before he becomes Sultan in a few years. I'm so sorry, but he's not coming back to school for now."

Chad scoffed at the apologetic tone. "Sounds like good news to me."

"Aziz is my _boyfriend_," Jay reminded vehemently as he glared sharply at the prince. "Say another disrespectful word about him, and we will be down three men instead of two."

Satisfied when Chad firmly shut his mouth, the thief adverted his attention back to Lonnie. "I will think about you joining the team," Jay promised, though there was a tenseness in his tone due to the new information. "Coach trusts me, so I can't throw out the rule-book. That doesn't mean I can't try to find a loophole for you. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to find a place to scream."

* * *

Instead of incoherently letting all his frustrations out for the world to hear, Jay had Mal meet him at the garden at the front of the school so they could rant to one another about their problems. The garden was like their Auradon version of their Isle hideout, where they tell each other their secrets and have their therapy sessions with one another, mainly because Mal didn't want to tell anyone about her baby. Jay has voiced multiple times that she needed to tell Ben. The sooner Ben knew, the sooner he could get little Mallory off the island, but Mal still doesn't have the courage to tell him after a year of them dating.

"So to summarize my debacle," Jay continued with his rant, "one friend is telling me that my boyfriend wants to marry me after a year of dating, while the other is saying my boyfriend won't be back at school for a long time, which means I won't be able to see him for months."

"Which one do you believe?" Mal wondered softly as they paused in their walk to sit at the fountain, like they do every time they come out there. "Ben or Lonnie?"

"Lonnie," the Lost Boy answered without a second thought. "No offense to your boyfriend, but Aziz isn't the type to marry so soon in a relationship, or at least I think he isn't. Lonnie's version is much more believable because of the whole Rajah situation. In these past few weeks, Jasmine has left his side only once, and that was to attend the funeral of that guard."

"You're on first name basis with his parents without their titles?" Mal questioned with a teasing smile. "I've known Ben's parents just as long, but I haven't done that yet. Hell, they don't even talk to me unless they have to. Aziz's parents clearly like you. If Aziz does end up proposing sometime soon, would you say . . . ?"

"I have no idea," Jay admitted as he let out a sigh. "I do know that I love him, and I can't stand being apart for as long as we have. If he does propose when I think he will, I don't know if I can say 'yes' because he will be back in Agrabah the next day. I don't know what I will say until he asks me."

Shaking his head to rid those 'crazy' thoughts, the thief smiled comfortingly at the fairy. "Enough about my problems. What about you? What's going on with you and Ben?"

"He got me another gift, a purple scooter," Mal informed with a sigh of her own. "I'm half-tempted to use it to go to the Isle so I can see my baby girl. I've been having trouble sleeping again and your pillow trick idea has stopped working. I'm afraid I'm going to be so sleep-deprived that I lash out at someone, ruining Ben's image as king."

"You need to—"

"I'm not telling him about Lory," Mal denied with a shake of her head. "I can't, or at least not yet. I need a little more time, but I need to see her. I need to go home."

Jay hesitated for a brief moment before letting out an exasperated breath. "Look, I'm not supposed to say anything, but Ben is planning a surprise for you," he revealed softly. "I won't say what it is, but if you can hold out until Saturday after cotillion, you will be grateful that you waited, _if _he can talk Fairy Godmother into it."

"Fairy Godmother is stubborn, so I know she will already say no to whatever his idea is," Mal insisted just as stubbornly. "But . . . I will try to wait, for you and for him. It would look bad to everyone if I suddenly went home when there is a royal event for me happening in two days."

"You won't regret it, M," Jay promised. "Things will change between you and Ben after cotillion."

"Same for you and Aziz," Mal joked with a teasing, yet knowing smile.

Before more could be said, the fairy's phone went off, signaling a reminder for an event in a few minutes. "I have a picnic date with Ben," she claimed. "I will talk with you later, but don't be too hard on Aziz if you ask him why he didn't tell you. He just doesn't want to hurt you . . . like I don't want to hurt Ben by telling him about Mallory."


	26. Chapter 26

On a gazebo overlooking the calm green pond and surrounding lush tree-filled countryside, Mal and Ben sat at a table covered by a gold tablecloth, which boasted all sorts of treats: soup, hors d'oeuvres, beef ragout, cheese souffle, pies, puddings, pastel-colored cakes, fresh fruit tarts, a loaf of warm bread, and tiers of appetizers. All the fixings for a royal picnic to make Ben feel like a cherished guest.

"Would you like a hot hors d'oeuvre?" Mal questioned as she picked up the delicious food, wearing a pale blue dress to blend well with her loose ice-blond hair.

Ben ate the appetizer with a delighted smile. "This is the best thing I've ever ate."

"So, do you like it?" Mal wondered with a curious smile.

"Absolutely!" Ben declared while taking a bite of beef ragout. "This is every single dish Mrs. Potts made for my parents. How long did it take you—three days?"

Mal eyed the picnic basket that sat on the table beside them, the secret behind the meal hidden inside. "Don't . . . even ask."

"Well, it means a lot that you stopped and did all this for me." Ben complimented sincerely. "I wish I could do so much more for you, including surprising you better. It seems like I almost spoil everything."

Mal allowed a scheming smile to grace her lips from recalling an earlier memory. "You can say that again," she teased. "You practically spoiled Aziz's surprise for Jay. Jay is slightly on the fence about it and he doesn't really believe it. Lonnie, on the other hand, told him about Aziz's situation with school."

Ben slumped in his chair at hearing the information. "That's just great. She and I are going to be the reason for their first fight."

"Don't get too upset over it," Mal requested with a slight roll of her eyes. "I almost told Jay earlier today before you showed up and spoiled the good surprise. You know, you are _bad_ at keeping secrets."

Ben didn't bother suppressing his smirk at the accusation. "I'm better at it than you think."

Meanwhile, Mal didn't bother arguing with his claim since she was busy wiping away sauce from the corner of the king's mouth. Ben's smirk turned into a smile as he lightly touched his lip. "Can't take me anywhere, right?"

Mal laughed at the question, recalling their first date over a year ago. Ben had taken her to the Enchanted Lake where she first tried a jelly-doughnut and many more delicious food. Though the strawberries were absolutely delicious, hush-puppies were still her favorite food in the world. On that day, Mal had slightly opened up about what happened to her on the island and her relationship with Ben blossomed into something . . . _spectacular_.

With that in mind, Mal finally started to relax, enjoying the time with her boyfriend.

But sadly, all good things must come to an end.

That appeared to be the case when Ben sheepishly looked around to find an object to clean himself with. "Do you have a napkin or something?"

"I do!" Mal answered as she instinctively looked down, thinking that the picnic basket was on the ground beside her chair. A look of confusion appeared on her face, until she remembered she moved it minutes before to get it out of her way. When she glanced upwards, Ben was reaching for the basket. "I can grab it—"

It was already too late.

When the king reached into the picnic basket, he pulled out a stack of napkins _and _Mal's spell book, which had been hidden underneath the napkins. Ben inspected the cover with faint recognition in his eyes. "What's this doing in here?"

Eyes going wide at being caught, Mal stuttered through her lies, "I—I threw it in last minute, just in case it rained or if something bad were to happen."

The fairy tried to make a grab for the book, but the king moved it out of her reach. Flipping through the various pages, Ben read the ones that were marked with post-it notes. "Speed-reading spell. Blonde hair spell?" He paused a moment to gaze at the feast. "Cooking spell?"

Ben adverted his gaze to Mal, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "You created this meal from magic?"

Unsure of what to do, Mal waved her finger, incanting, "_Take back this moment that has passed_ . . ." She trailed off, the next words slipping through her mind in the stress of the moment. "_Replace it_ . . . _Reverse it_ . . . ?"

Eyes widening in surprise, Ben couldn't stop his jaw from dropping as realization struck him about the current situation. "Are you trying to spell me?"

Like a water breaking through a dam, Mal started sobbing uncontrollably as she had 'another' breakdown. "I'm so sorry, Ben," she apologized through some sniffling. "It has been so hard for me—"

"Hey, hey, hey." Ben reached forward to gently wipe away a stray tear from his beloved's cheek, though he kept hold of her face so she would keep her gaze on him. "I'm not mad, okay? My beast isn't going to come out on you when you are clearly distressed and upset. I just want to know why you did this. Why did you change your beautiful, purple hair? Why did you use magic on this meal instead of trying your best?"

"Because I'm not perfect like I have to be!" Mal declared in her emotional state. "I'm not a pretty pink princess! I'm not what you deserve!"

"Mal, I don't care about tha—"

"I'm a big fake!" Mal shouted hysterically as she burst out of her seat to prove her point, Ben instinctively standing as well. "My hair is fake. This food is fake. Everything about me is fake! We've been together for over a _year_, yet I _still _haven't told you what happened—"

"I understand why," Ben quickly and calmly reassured. "What happened to you was traumatic and if you talk about it, the emotions come back. You have PTSD and that is completely normal. I can help you. _Let _me help yo—"

"No!" Mal denied while backing away from the king, having grabbed her spell-book during the interruption. "N-no. I can't. I _can't_. Because of what happened to me . . . I don't deserve _you_."

"Mal," Ben cooed ever so softly, his eyes displaying so much affection that wasn't natural. "Don't say that. No one else can make me feel the way you do. I love _you_."

"But I-I can't—" Mal cut herself off, unable to say those words.

Unable to break his heart.

Stubbornly shaking her head, Mal tried to walk away, but Ben grabbed her hand before she could. "Mal, wai—"

"_NO_!" Mal screamed as she rudely brushed him off. "_No._"

The fairy stormed off, leaving the king all alone.

After watching his beloved retreat, Ben walked to the railing of the gazebo to gaze over the pond. Across the calm green water, Ben could see a faint outline of the island in the far distance. After what just happened with his queen, he was more determined than ever to make the bastard pay for what he did to her—

And that he got his princess off the island.


	27. Chapter 27

With how emotional she has been for the last day, Mal decided to do the one thing she's been thinking about for that entire week.

She was going home.

And she was going to do it with the purple scooter she received a few hours prior.

You see, after Ben had gifted the one-seated vehicle to her, the fairy searched her mother's spell-book to see if there were any kind of transportation spells. Within the first minute of looking, Mal found an enchantment that could be used on any type of vehicles, which gave her the idea to use it on her new scooter. It was almost like she was being given various signs that she _needed_ to go home.

Her breakdown in front Ben was the last straw.

After running away from her problems with Ben, Mal headed straight for her dorm room. After changing into an outfit more like her old 'VK' style, she collected a few of her essential belongings—spell-book, sketch-book, and the picture of her precious daughter—before leaving behind a note meant for Ben along with his gold ring. She needed to clear her mind and take a breather. She can't exactly do that when she had a constant reminder of . . . a love she couldn't fully have.

Or at least . . . a love that she could taint with her mental problems.

Once she believed she had everything, Mal escaped from the school before anyone could see her. With a little bit of time and a little bit of fairy magic, Mal was back on the Isle of the Lost by Friday's sunrise.

The first thing Mal did was head to her old hideout to get some rest. After being awake for the past two days in a row, the fairy was both physically and mentally drained. The last thing Mal wanted was to faint right when she was reunited with her daughter. No, she wanted to be well rested so she could catch-up for the time that they've been apart.

But there were a couple things she needed to do first.

After sleeping through nearly the entire day, Mal finally made her way through the decrepit island streets and approached the double doors of a small, shabby salon. A weathered sign above the doors displayed a giant pair of scissors and a perfume bottle bearing the words '_Lady Tremaine's Curl Up and Dye_'.

What?

Hades didn't say whether or not Mallory liked her mother's Auradon hairstyle, so the best thing for Mal to do was have her hair changed back. All Mal wants is for her daughter to be happy and if trying to go back to her old self made Lory happy, then so be it.

Anything was worth seeing her beloved daughter's smile and affectionate laughter.

Gazing around to make sure no one was watching her, Mal crept through the peeling paint door, careful to not make a sound.

The salon had pipes and wires exposed in the ceiling, hair dryers made with botched-together pieces of machinery, and steaming glass vials with colorful dyes percolating, running through a system of pipes over a bathtub. To top it all off, the entire place—from the walls, where cracked mirrors hang, to each janky mismatched salon chair—was splattered with streaks of every shade of bright neon dye.

The girl sweeping the colorful salon didn't hear Mal enter, so she continued moving like she was ballroom dancing with the broom. Dizzy, the daughter of Drizella, had on large gold-painted headphones embellished with tiny flowers and pearly metallic beads. She wore a multicolored dress and cat-eye shaped glasses. Each of her nails were painted a different color. Her brown hair was pulled into a bun with the ends bright neon pink.

Dizzy turned in the middle of her 'dance', jumping in surprise when she finally noticed the fairy standing a few feet away. "Mal!" the young teenager exclaimed, her freckled face lighting up as she pulled off her headphones. "Is Evie back too?"

Mal scoffed at the question, knowing her second best friend would never willingly come home like she had. "As if," the fairy retorted as she gazed around the salon. "I, uh, forgot that you guys don't open till midnight. The place looks great; love the splash of colors. I can definitely tell you were the one who decorated."

Dizzy beamed proudly at compliment. She worked really hard on making the place seem more whimsical and friendly. Hearing the praise from the older teenager that she truly respected made Dizzy grateful that she didn't second guess herself during the decoration process—which consisted of closing the salon for three days, much to the disapproval of her grandmother. Speaking of Lady Tremaine . . .

"So what's your work load?" Mal wondered as she eyed Dizzy's apron and the pile of hair she swept moments before. "Has your grandmother given you any customers yet or do you still have the usual chores?"

"That and a witch here and there," Dizzy answered with a careless shrug. "She's letting me do more since she's been busy mending toddler-sized dresses. They look like they were made from Celia's old clothes, but they have a splash of your color scheme. I've asked Grammy who she made them for, but she insists they're for no one. She says she's just bored during her planning period at school, but _I _think the Facilier's are having another baby and they're hoping for a girl. Celia's acting clueless about it."

"I wouldn't pry too hard," Mal slightly scolded, but her heart warmed at the thought of the two villains helping her little girl like they promised. "Maybe they are keeping her, or him, a secret so they don't get their hopes up along with everyone else. Miscarriages are very common. Your Aunt Anastasia had one a few years ago."

"I remember." Dizzy sighed softly at the memory of her relative being so devastated about her loss. "She hasn't been the same since. She was hoping for a little girl too."

In hopes of changing the subject, Mal wondered, "Dizzy, you used to do Evie's hair, right?"

"I dyed it before all of you left," Dizzy confirmed with a happy smile. "I suggested the darker blue so her black hair could blend better. Those hair-dyes in Auradon aren't working with her beauty. The color is too light, and her hair is frizzy mess now!"

Snickering at the young girl's enthusiastic opinion, Mal questioned, "Do you have any ideas for me? I'm wanting to go back to my old look, if you think that's possible."

"Hmm . . ." Dizzy sized up the fairy, pondering all of the ideas she could do. After having Mal sit in a nearby salon chair, the younger teenager lifted a strand of the blond hair. "Washed-out blond with purple tips? You can't see where your face ends or your hair begins!"

Spinning the fairy in the chair for the fun of it, Dizzy leaned against it with a mischievous smile. "How far will you let me go?"

"As far as you need to," Mal reassured with a calm smile. "All I want is for me to feel like me again before I became . . . sick, or at least the best that you can do. I will be grateful with any changes you can make."

"Yay!" Dizzy cheered, excited that a customer would let her do whatever she wished. Rushing to a table just out of arms reach, she opened and closed the blades of a rusty garden shears before twirling toward Mal, who had a nervous smile on her face.

First task Dizzy did was cut off the purple tips with the garden shears. The aspiring cosmetologist knew she couldn't match her hair-dyes with the fairy's natural purple hair, so the tips had to go. Cutting the tips of her hair was actually beneficial since it rid Mal of all of her split ends and dead ends.

Next, Dizzy dyed Mal's hair to a color that was similar to her natural color. Since the sink wasn't working properly—stupid goblins—they had to do the process in the bathtub. Dizzy had to keep her laughter under control since Mal looked so silly bent over the bathtub with purple dye stuck to her forehead.

Then, Dizzy pinned the newly dyed strands in soda cans so the color could set a little longer. With that done, Mal had to sit under a dryer to dry her hair. Once that was done, Dizzy did final touch-ups on trimming the fairy's hair.

Finally—after nearly three hours of work—Dizzy spun Mal around in the salon chair for the big reveal.

With a bright smile on her lips, Mal dramatically hopped out of the chair to peer into the cracked fragments of the shattered mirror that hanged on the wall. Her newly lavender hair reached just below her shoulders, just like before she had her daughter. Mal beamed, her sparkling green eyes twinkling below new bluntly cut bangs.

"Heeey." Mal smiled approvingly at her reflection. "There I am."

The fairy turned to her favorite hairstylist. Sporting the biggest smile imaginable, Dizzy cheered proudly, "Viola!"

"Voila," Mal agreed. Pulling out half of her cash, she held out the small folded stack to the young teenager.

Dizzy clutched chest in disbelief, having only seen that kind of money on the television screen. "Is that real?"

"Of course," Mal insisted as she gave a genuine smile. "And it's all yours. You earned it for the terrific job you did. I am _definitely _coming back."

Giggling happy, Dizzy carefully took the money from Mal's hand. Instead of skipping to the register, Dizzy scurried upstairs to the living space to show her grandmother the foreign money. Shaking her head in amusement, Mal was about to leave, until . . .

"Well, well, well."

Tensing up at the familiar voice that haunted her nightmares, Mal reluctantly turned around to face the monster that destroyed her mental status. "_Harry_."

Harry Hook grinned maliciously at the fairy he hasn't seen in years. "What a nice surprise."

"Still running errands for Uma?" Mal taunted to pull off the façade that she wasn't affected by his presence. "Or do you get to keep what you steal?"

His smile only grew wider at his words. Harry made a step toward her, but Mal stepped back to keep the distance between them. The sick bastard had the audacity to snicker at her reaction.

"Just WAIT until Uma hears you're back." Harry let his eyes roam up and down her body, almost like he was trying to remember what she looked like on the night he took advantage of her. "She's never going to give back your old territory."

"I don't care about that," Mal retorted bitterly with a snarl on her delicate features. "I came back for my daughter. _Our _daughter."

Harry's smile was quickly replaced with a scowl. "This again? I already told you I'm not claiming her. She's not mine."

"You're not calling her 'it' anymore," Mal noted carefully and cautiously. "Does that mean you are finally feeling guilty for what you did?"

"Why won't you let it go?"

"Because you _raped_ me!" Mal exclaimed as best as she could through a whisper so little Dizzy couldn't hear her. "You forced me to drink until I was completely wasted. You took advantage of me for your disgusting pleasure. I was _fourteen! _I had Mallory at _fifteen!_"

"Have you told any of your Auradon friends about your daughter—"

"Evie and Carlos don't even know about her," Mal snapped angrily. "Jay is the only one in Auradon that knows about _my_ daughter."

Harry raised a suspicious eyebrow at the phrasing. "But someone else knows about our amazing one-night stand?"

"You mean my awful night in hell?" Mal corrected stubbornly, though she sighed in annoyance. "My boyfriend knew something happened, but not the specifics. He did _everything _to make sure I was comfortable with our relationship, yet I was so _traumatized_ by what you did that I couldn't make it work. I think he could be the one, but it will take me years to find out because I can't get over what you did. Besides, I _can't_ ruin his life like you ruined mine."

Harry scoffed at the fairy's _pathetic_ rant. "Yeah, right. You're probably whoring yourself out to that worthless king and you don't want to admit it—"

_POW!_

Without realizing what was happening, Harry lost his breath as he felt a sudden, immense pain in his stomach. As the pirate moved to clutch his abdomen, someone grabbed his arm and _swung _him over the cash register counter, knocking him and various objects to the ground.

As Harry tried to comprehend the pain and what the fuck happened to him, Mal towered over him with a scowl on her pasty features. "I don't care if you one day feel guilty for what you did to me," Mal informed as her eyes flashed green to show her anger and her raw power. "You will _never _be allowed near my daughter. Stay away from me. Stay _away _from Mallory. If you come near either one of us, I'll use your own hook to castrate you and then shove it so far up your ass that you _might _feel the same pain that you inflicted on me."

Mal crouched to the fallen pirate's height to seem more threatening. "Disrespect my boyfriend again," she warned maliciously, "and I'll use your hook to cut out your tongue so you can no longer speak ill of _my_ _king_ again."

Fearful for his life, Harry scrambled to his feet before running out of the salon like a coward with his tail between his legs.

At that moment, Dizzy rushed downstairs to see what caused the noise. The first thing the young teenager noticed was the mess on the ground, causing her to sigh in annoyance. "Great," she commented sarcastically. "More sweeping."


	28. Chapter 28

After spending a few hours getting ready for their 'spontaneous' trip to the Isle of the Lost, Jay, Evie, Carlos, _and _Ben arrived at the outside of the Core Four's hideout, where two of the four believed they would find Mal. Although he argued with the idea, Jay didn't necessarily voice his opinion on where the fairy could be for obvious reasons. As for Ben, he could have suggested somewhere, but then he would have spoiled quite a few secrets.

Now wasn't the time for him to play hero. Ben would have just a while longer to be a little girl's saving grace.

Once they arrived, Jay grabbed a decent sized rock and chucked it at the hanging sign nearby. The sign flew back, triggering a mechanism that raised the enormous gate high enough that someone could climb underneath.

Releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding, Ben cautiously walked up the stairwell alone, half-expecting the fairy to not be there.

You see, on the drive to the Isle, the group of four discussed what they should do to convince Mal to come back to Auradon. Evie and Carlos insisted that Ben could reason with the fairy. Jay firmly believed no one could persuade his best friend to leave the island again. Ben didn't provide his input, but if he had . . . he would side with Jay for reasons that none of them were aware that he knew.

Anyways, inside the unstable building structure, Ben cautiously climbed the unusual passage-way toward the sound of moving furniture. A few moments later, the king paused on a platform to gaze into the living quarters of the hideout.

It pretty much consisted of three separate rooms that were connected by open doorways. Two of the three contained abnormally sized beds while the room in the center only held a couch. It was obvious which beds and rooms belonged to who, since Mal most likely painted murals of herself and her friends in each separate room.

But the fairy wasn't expending her artistic talents at the moment.

Instead, Mal—looking so much like her old self with her punk Isle clothing and her hair a pretty lavender a color instead of the 'unnatural' blonde with purple tips—was busy moving around furniture to make more room for something. Ben watched for a few moments as the fairy pushed the large burgundy couch against the even larger wall to create a large open space in the room. When she began moving smaller and more fragile objects on higher surfaces, realization hit the king on what the fairy was doing.

Mal was toddler proofing the place for her daughter so she could raise Mallory on her own.

"Need any help?" Ben finally offered when she struggled to move an old trunk against the ginormous wall.

Mal jumped at the sound of his voice. Whirling around, her eyes went wide as she lightly gasped at the king's arrival. "Ben?" Mal greeted uncertainly. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking on you," Ben insisted as he walked toward her—or so she believed. "You ran off without saying good-bye."

The fairy instinctively took a step back, still shook up about her encounter with her abuser. She was pleasantly surprised when instead the king crouched down and effortlessly pushed the chest against the wall in the exact place she wanted it.

Straightening to full height, Ben smiled reassuringly at the surprised fairy. "How are you feeling?" he wondered curiously. "I mean, now that you are home."

"Better," Mal admitted almost bashfully. "I haven't seen the person I came home for yet. I've only been here and the hair salon. I . . . 'bumped' into my abuser."

Ben tensed at the information, clutching his hand into a fist as he remembered a _very_ vivid dream about what he believed happened. "What happened?"

"I got pissed and tossed him over a counter." Mal revealed with a careless shrug. "It was _so_ relieving, especially since he didn't see it coming."

Ben chuckled at the way the fairy's tone sounded upbeat at the confession. "How long do you need to stay?" he questioned. "I don't have any doubts that you can take care of yourself."

The fairy's jaw dropped at the questions. "You mean you're not mad? You're not going to beg me to come back to Auradon?"

"You've already made your decision and I know I can't change your mind," Ben claimed with a reassuring smile forming. "All I want is for you to be happy and to be safe. I would prefer if you stayed with me in Auradon, but you need a few days home on the island."

Mal sighed contently at the declaration. "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me."

"I think I do," Ben teased as his smile grew. "I could tell you were becoming uncomfortable in Auradon. That's why I've been trying to convince Fairy Godmother to let you visit the Isle for a few days."

Obviously, Mal gaped at the new information. "That was your surprise for me?"

"One of them," Ben corrected. "Your other one I was going to be revealed at cotillion, but it looks like that's going to have to wait. How long do you want to post-pone it? Two weeks? A month?"

Smiling happily at how supportive the king was being to her, Mal confirmed, "Two weeks. That should be plenty of time to make me feel even better."

"And if there is anyone that you want to take to Auradon after that time is up," Ben began as he tried to imply that he knew something, "she will be more than welcomed to come with. Don't forget: I love you."

Sadly, the fairy didn't notice the hint since she was focused on the three little words that she still didn't have the courage to say. "Give me until cotillion," she implored, "then I will be able to say those words to you."

"No rush," Ben reassured, though he chuckled softly afterwards. "I've waited a year so far. I can wait a couple more weeks, or an entire lifetime if that's what it will take. And your ring?"

Mal's smile grew as the king revealed the gold beast-head ring from his pocket. "Give it to me after I keep my promise," she requested carefully. "You told me to wear it so it would be a reminder that I was loved. When you give it to me next time, I'll use it as a reminder that I don't have to fear telling you those three little words because I will truly mean it."

Chuckling at the innocent 'wish', Ben lightly kissed the fairy's forehead, as it was still part of their original deal. "I'll see you in two weeks, my queen."

Taking a big leap of faith, trust, and courage, Mal quickly placed a simple and quick peck on the young man's cheek. Pleased with how shocked he was by her actions, Mal affirmed, "Two weeks, my king."

* * *

A few minutes later, outside their hideout, Carlos, Jay, and Evie stirred as they heard Ben walking down the stairwell. The gate slid up just long enough to allow Ben to walk through, having closed behind him moments after. "Mal's not coming back to Auradon today," he nonchalantly informed. "She will be back in two weeks."

Evie's mouth hanged agape at hearing the facts. "What?" she exclaimed incredulously. "What about cotillion?"

"Postponed for two weeks," Ben answered with no hesitation in his tone. "Cotillion will be used as a 'welcome back' party for her. We've already talked about it and it's decided. If you want to try to change her mind, go for it, but it's already made up."

Not believing a word that the king said, Evie hurried to the call horn to speak with her friend. "M? Will you let us up? We need to talk."

From the other line, the trio heard a loud suspicious thud before Mal faintly shouted, "_I'm busy, E! Come back in a couple hours._"

Jay snarled his nose at his sister's words, confuzzled by a phrase. "Busy with what?"

Before that could be answered, Carlos randomly gazed down the alley decorated with torn rags when he noticed something peculiar. "Guys!" he shouted in distress. "Where's Ben?"

Joining their friend's side, Evie peered down the dim alleyway to search for the missing king, instead of walking down it like a normal person should. "Ben?" she called out. "Ben?"

After a moment or so, a dark silhouette strolled them. The teenager had his hands in his coat pocket with his head hunkered down in the way that the trio taught him.

"Ben!" Evie shouted in alarm. "Don't scare us like that!"

"Don't scare you?"

The trio tensed at the familiar voice as the mysterious figure stepped into the light.

But it wasn't Ben.

This man's hair was slightly longer than Ben's, being so much darker and more wild than imaginable. The man's trench coat reached well past his knees with the color being a deep red.

Harry Hook grinned deviously at the trio's reaction. "But that's my specialty."

Jay fumed in rage as he made a threatening step toward the pirate. "What did you do with Ben!"

"We nicked him." Harry bravely confessed as he motioned to the dark alley where the crime was committed. "If you want to see him again, have Mal"—he pointed to the hideout— "come to the chip shop tonight." He gestured to the trio with his hook. "Alone. Uma wants . . . a little visit."

"Why don't you tell her that yourself?" Carlos barked, amusing the pirate with his own courage. "We aren't your errand rats."

"Well I'm afraid Mal isn't too fond of me at the moment," Harry revealed without giving too much away. "I _conveniently_ 'bumped' into her at Tremaine's hair shop. Let's just say . . . she didn't take too kindly to my playful banter."

Harry turned his sights on the thief, who was practically seething in fury and anger at the new information. "Awe, Jay." Harry pouted before his expression turned evil. "Seems like you've lost your touch!"

Jay lunged at him. If Evie wasn't holding him back, he could have done some serious damage to the pirate. Nonetheless, Harry merely grinned as he nonchalantly strolled down the alleyway, whistling as he went.

Not realizing the pain he'd suffer in just a few short hours.


	29. Chapter 29

**So! While I was working on this chapter and the one I posted a couple days prior, I neglected to work on a paper for college. It was a five paged paper that I believed was worth 50 points. Once I turned it in, I realized it was worth 200 points and was riddled with more errors than I could count because I was in a hurry to get it done. On top of that, I had only typed three pages!**

**Luckily, my professor is giving me a second chance to fix all the errors. I have until tomorrow to resubmit that assignment. **

**That means no update until Thursday or Friday! I could try to get it done tomorrow as well, but do you really want me to rush it since it's the confrontation between Ben and Harry. Think of it this way . . .**

**This gives you more of a reason to be eager for that chapter.**

**Sorry for the notice, but here is this chapter to make it up!**

* * *

After Mal went to the restaurant and lost the bet with Uma—Ursula's daughter—the Core Four devised a plan to save the captive king and prevent the sea witch from taking over Auradon.

While the girls headed to Lady Tremaine's Curl Up and Dye to create a few smoke bombs for a distraction, Jay and Carlos headed to Auradon to create a duplicate of Fairy Godmother's wand so they could trade it for the king. Driving the limousine through the Isle's magical barrier for the second time in the past couple hours, the boys arrived at Auradon Prep about half an hour before midnight.

The Lost Boys didn't bother being careful or cautious as they hurried down the hallway to their dorm room. Curfew came into effect half an hour ago, so everyone should have been asleep in their dorm rooms at the time.

But neither one realized that the 'exception' had arrived a few hours earlier than expected.

Dude scampered toward them, excited that they were back from their trip but unable to voice his opinion in a language that the humans could comprehend. He never took a truth gummi that could make him speak human language because Mal never gave one to Carlos. In fact, she never had that conversation with Carlos since she was busy with her therapy session with Jay.

"Sorry we took so long," Carlos apologized to his furry companion. "We had a couple setbacks."

The younger teen attempted to walk forward, but Jay flung his arm out to prevent his friend from going any further. "Why's our door open?" the thief interrogated. "I thought we locked it."

Cautiously creeping forward, the boys peeked their heads inside the room. One perked up happily while the let out a relieved sigh. "_Albi_!"

Remember whose nickname that is?

If you guessed Aziz, then you are correct!

When the VKs peered into their room, they immediately noticed the Auradon thief nearly half asleep on Jay's bed, though his over-night bag was leaned against the dresser. It appeared as though Aziz has been waiting a while for his lover boy. He was laying shirtless on the bed, BUT he had been missing Jay so much that he decided to wear his old sleeveless Isle jacket. If they weren't in such a hurry and Jay wasn't so happy to see his beloved, Jay wouldn't have shouted like he had and instead enjoyed the scene for a long _long _while.

Aziz jumped at his boyfriend's voice, becoming wide awake and alert. Stretching out his tired muscles, the Auradon thief complained, "Where the hell were you? I've been waiting for hours. I texted, but they didn't go through."

"We were on the Isle," Jay informed without a second thought as he sat at the edge of his bed—Carlos headed straight for the printer so he could program the device. "Long story short, Mal had a small breakdown and went home because she was homesick."

Aziz tilted his head curiously at the information. "But Ben was setting up that trip for her after cotillion."

"She didn't know that until Ben told her on the Isle," Jay claimed. "Anyways, Ben got captured by some pirates and the captain wants Fairy Godmother's magic wand. Carlos and I are creating a replica of the wand to trick the captain and the girls are making smoke bombs for a diversion."

Aziz raised an amused eyebrow at the story. "Seems like I missed a lot while I was gone. I'm wishing I came back Thursday instead of a few hours ago so I could join in on the fun."

"Why are you back so early?" Jay interrogated curiously. "You said you wouldn't be back until an hour before cotillion. What changed?"

Like a flip of a switch, Aziz's happy composure suddenly morphed into something more . . . passionate. "I need to you," he insisted urgently before sparing a glance at the computer expert. "_Alone_."

"This program is going to take a few hours to complete," Carlos commented as he inputted some data to have the program match the correct size of the wand. "If you want some privacy, your room is the best bet."

In a split second, Aziz grabbed his bag from the ground and practically dragged his beloved out of the room—

Determined to speak his mind before he lost his courage.

* * *

"What's going on with you?" Jay asked as he watched his boyfriend practically slammed close the bedroom door behind them and clumsily locked the door to give them even more privacy. "You're acting so—"

"I love you," Aziz confessed as he twirled around to face his beloved, his facial expression showing just how much he was letting his guard down and emotional he was. "And I am so sorry that I wasn't the one that told you about missing the rest of the school year."

"It's alright, 'cause I get it," Jay reassured with a careless shrug. "You didn't want to hurt me."

"I _hated _being away from you," Aziz revealed as he stepped toward the other thief. "I hated that we will have to be apart longer than I thought. These few days made me realize just how much I care for you; how much I want to be with _you_, until death we part. Hell, I don't want to be apart then."

"Aziz," Jay hissed, unable to say more since he was at a lost for words. He already knew what was coming.

"I love you," Aziz repeated so he'd get his point across. "And I know you love me. That's why I can't wait any longer to do _this_."

Practically falling on one knee, Aziz revealed a little black box he had hidden in his pocket. "Jay, _Albi, _my heart," he began as he pulled back the lid, "will you marry me?"

Jay couldn't help the gasp that escaped his lips, mainly because of the ring. The gold band was in the shape and carving of a snake while its mouth held the most beautiful ruby he has ever seen. The ring screamed his name since it was so fitting for him. The ring was so mesmerizing. It was begging for him to say—

"Yes," Jay answered happily. "Yes, _A__lbi_, I will marry you."

The lovely couple kissed as Aziz placed the ring on Jay's finger. In the matter of mere moments, their kiss became a little more passionate as Aziz pushed onto the nearby bed, climbing on top to take on the dominate role for this intercourse. Aziz attempted to pull off the leather jacket he still wore, but Jay tugged it back on him.

Aziz broke the kiss with a snicker. "Does me wearing your clothes turn you on?"

"You look hot," Jay complimented, not denying or confirming the claim. "You look better in my jacket than I do."

"I sincerely doubt that," Aziz argued before adverting his attention to attack his beloved's neck.

A few moments of that caused Jay to turn his head to give Aziz better access to his neck. With that little action, Jay caught sight of something that made him realize something. "_Albi_?"

Reluctantly pausing for a moment, Aziz met Jay's eyes. "Yeah?"

"Why are we breaking Ben's one rule?" Jay interrogated with a certain gleam in his eyes. "We are literally five minutes away from fucking on his bed."

"He said I couldn't have sex with my boyfriend on his bed," Aziz corrected with a mischievous smirk. "He said nothing about my fiancé."


	30. Chapter 30

Saturday morning appeared to be another bleak, windy day at what was called Pirate's Cove.

At the bottom of the decaying, multilevel pier, an old pirate ship with a dark octopus insignia on the sails was forever docked since it was beyond repair. Young pirates patrolled the deck as ordered by their captain. The last thing any of them wanted was a surprise attack from the Core Four in an attempt to save their captive king.

At the moment, King Ben was poorly tied to the mainmast of the ship with no one within range of him. The rope used to restrain him was rotted from the sea breeze and frayed to where it was almost unusable. If Ben really wanted to—or rather, if his _Beast _wanted to—he could escape at any moment.

However, Ben decided to wait just a while longer. He had a sneaky suspicion about a certain pirate and wanted to confirm that it was true.

Speaking of the devil in disguise . . .

Harry Hook jumped onto the main deck like a senile maniac that didn't know the definition of the word 'no'. As the pirate came closer to the king, Ben couldn't help snarling his nose at the psychotic smile the pirate was giving him.

"Coochy coochy coooo," Harry pestered as he grazed Ben's chin with the curve of his hook sadistically, threatening to cut the king at any moment.

Harry laughed when his victim tried to jerk away from him. The pirate clutched the back of the king's neck to keep his gaze on him. "How's it feel to be king now, eh?"

Ben gritted his teeth in a vain attempt to keep his temper under control. "_Let. Go_. _Of. My. Neck_."

The pirate snickered, though he obeyed the command. "Your girlfriend didn't say you had a temper," he baited while turning his back to the royal, limping away as he did so. "You must not show your true colors in front of her."

Scoffing at the accusation, Ben leaned his head against the wooden mast in thought. "So . . . _you _are Mallory's father."

Whirling around, Harry's eyes were wide when he faced the royal. "Mal told you?" the pirate rhetorically questioned as he shook his head in denial. "I thought she didn't tell anyone in Auradon about our daughter."

"She didn't," Ben agreed condescendingly. "_You _did, just now."

"How do you—"

"A few things really," Ben purposely interrupted as he unconsciously struggled against his restraints. "Mal's first rule in our relationship is that I never touch her neck, which is the first thing you did to me. Second, you have a semi-fresh bruise on your wrist and you're limping like you've had a hard impact. She said yesterday that she threw her abuser over a counter, something she is capable up since she's the daughter of Hades. Before you ask, she didn't tell me that either; I figured that out for myself."

"How do you know about Mallory?" Harry interrogated forcefully. "I know Mal wanted to keep her a secret. She wouldn't go around telling everyone, especially a king that she believed is her 'one', whatever the hell that means."

Entirely intrigued by the information, Ben hesitated for a moment. Either he tells about his dreams, or he creates a convincing lie. Not wanting to take the risk of his favorite dream not coming true, he chose the latter.

"I was worried about her the first few days in Auradon, so I eavesdropped on her conversation with Jay," Ben slightly fibbed, since there was some truth in his words. "In that one conversation I learned nearly everything, from her father being Hades and her daughter, Mallory. I'm guessing . . . Mal named her that to spite you about keeping the baby?"

Harry scoffed at the king's words. "You don't know anything. You're just trying to get a rise out of me."

"You raped Mal on Halloween night after you got her so drunk that she couldn't defend herself," Ben abruptly declared, though his blood boiled in anger from having to say _that_ out loud. "Mal went to her father for help because she feared her mother would do something to her and her baby. Mal chose to keep Mallory though you said time and time again that she needed to get rid of her. Because her mother wanted her to steal Fairy Godmother's wand, Mal had to leave Mallory behind so her daughter wouldn't be used as a punishment for her crimes."

While the pirate gawked at the information, Ben raised an eyebrow in mock amusement. "Still think I don't know anything?"

"I think you know too much," Harry corrected as he made the idiotic choice of moving closer to the temperamental king. "More than I do, actually. How is that possible, considering Mallory is my daughter?"

"_Your _daughter?" Ben repeated incredulously, clenching his fists that were behind his back to keep _something _hidden, for the time being. "So you only claim her when her mother, her uncle, and her grandfather isn't around? You're the one that didn't want her!"

"What do you expect!" Harry quietly shouted back, so his fellow pirates couldn't hear their scuffle. "I was fifteen when Mal became pregnant and sixteen when she had the baby."

"And Mal was fourteen and had _her _daughter at fifteen!" Ben argued, a growl emerging in his tone from his rising anger. "_You _were the one that took advantage of her, remember? I can't show my queen how much I love her because she is so traumatized by what you fucking did!"

"Is there a point you're trying to make or are you trying to guilt trip me too?"

"Why didn't you step up?" Ben finally interrogated, as that was the one question he's been wondering, "Mallory is such a beautiful little girl. What the hell did she _ever_ do to you that made you want to abandon her?"

"She existed," Harry obnoxiously claimed. "I don't know if whoever told you this, but I _never _wanted kids."

"Then why say she is your daughter—?"

"I don't know!" Harry shouted over the king. "I do know that I don't want my captain and my best friend to know I fathered a child. The last thing I want is for Mallory to know that I am her father. Hell, I lost one of the best friendships I've ever had over this. I thought we were close to being something . . ."

Ben raised an eyebrow at the pirate trailing off. "More?" the king assumed mockingly. "I hate to break it to you, but Jay's in a relationship with my best friend, a thief from Auradon. My friend plans on proposing to Jay, _tonight_. You need to _stop_ blaming everyone else. _This_ happened because of _you_!"

Once again, Harry scoffed at the accusation. "I beg to differ. This wouldn't have happened if your _precious _queen wasn't such a whor—"

_BAM!_

For the second time in two days in a row, Harry lost his breath by an immense brute force.

Ben managed to break loose of his shoddy bounds due to his beast-like strength, not that it was really needed. When he did, the king lunged for the pirate, not caring who or what got in his way. The only thing on Ben's mind was making the abuser pay for what he did to his queen _and _for abandoning his princess.

After all, the Beast has been waiting for this moment.

Once he successfully knocked the arrogant pirate onto his back—creating a loud boom that caught everyone's attention—Ben repeatedly punched his victim, each connection growing stronger with his ever-growing rage. He wasn't sure where he was aiming, but knew he made contact with something vital since he felt a warm liquid cover his fists, yet he couldn't see what exactly it was. His vision was glazed over with the desire to inflict as much pain as he could to the pirate. With his yearning to hurt Harry so strong, Ben barely registered the voices around him that were shouting around him. Some tried to drag the king off his victim, but Ben wasn't ready just yet.

Meanwhile, the panic-stricken pirate desperately tried to knock the king off him. The familiar taste of bitter iron filled Harry's mouth as more and more blood oozed from his face. The king had already given him two black eyes and broken his nose, but that didn't seem to satisfy him. Harry genuinely feared that his life would be taken away by the king if _something _didn't happen.

_Finally,_ after who knows how long, Gil—the son of Gaston—slowly managed to pry the king off his friend. Determined to make the bastard suffer as much as he could, Ben _dug _his claws into the pirate—starting from the side of Harry's neck and down his chest—as he was being dragged away. The king couldn't help relishing in the sound of Harry screaming in agony as the claws ripped through his clothing and into his skin. In the matter of a few short seconds, the front side of his entire body was covered in blood, but that still wasn't enough for the Beast.

Before Ben could do anything more, something hard struck him on the back of his head—

Knocking him out cold.


	31. Chapter 31

Saturday afternoon—just a few minutes before noon—Mal and Evie were impatiently waiting in the alleyway outside the rusty pipe tunnel that would lead them to the Pirate's Wharf. The girls were hoping the boys would waiting be waiting on them, but that wasn't the case. Instead, they were waiting for their friends and wondering what could possibly be taking them so long.

Soon enough, they got their answer when the royal limo pulled up in front of them with just five minutes to spare. When the vehicle finally came to a stop, Jay emerged from the driver's seat while Carlos got out from the back seat. Meanwhile, the passenger door swung open to reveal Aziz, dressed in more of Jay's old clothing to blend in with the Isle people. The only thing that stood out on the Auradon thief was his grandmother's gold bracelet, which he vehemently refused to leave in his dorm room.

"I'll grab the swords," Jay informed Aziz as his beloved came around the vehicle.

Sparing a moment to give his significant other a quick kiss, Aziz casually strolled over to the astonished girls while the other two headed to the trunk. "Surprised?" Aziz teased at seeing the girls' expression.

"Daaamn!" Mal blatantly praised as she openly checked out the AK's new VK look. "You look hot!"

"Hey, watch it!" Jay shouted from the back of the limousine, where Carlos was grabbing a quiver of swords from the open trunk. "He's mine. You have your own king. Leave my prince alone."

Snickering at his beloved's possessiveness, Aziz informed the girls, "I had them bring me. If Ben has lost his temper, you'll need me to calm him."

"I thought you wouldn't be in Auradon until tonight," Evie faintly recalled from hearing some rumors.

"I missed my boyfriend too much to wait that long," Aziz insisted with a light shrug. "If I had arrived at school a few minutes earlier, I could have gone with you guys to the Isle the first time." The Auradon thief adverted his attention the fairy with a raised eyebrow. "How are you feeling? Jay said you left because you were homesick."

"I'm better," Mal reassured. Her eyes shined with mischief as she teased, "But now I know why you are late. You couldn't have waited a while longer?"

"I suffered two weeks without seeing my _albi_," Aziz reminded good-naturedly. "Trust me, you would feel the same way. Besides, what else were we supposed to do while we waited for the wand?"

"Where _is_ the wand?"

The next moment, Carlos produced the fake wand after slamming the trunk shut. Once in her possession, Mal inspected it closely to find it _identical _to the real wand. "Wow," she admired as she twirled it in her hands. "What a beauty. They will definitely be fooled by this."

Fake wand still in hand, the fairy changed her gaze to her friend. "Are we ready?" When they nodded in agreement, she announced, "Then let's go save my king."

* * *

There were a few things that the group of five noticed when they emerged from pipe tunnel. On the bridge just a foot away from the deck of the ship, Uma looked pissed off as she stood on one side of a kneeling Ben, who didn't have a happy expression on his face either. In fact, his green-blue eyes were slits like an animal's, his teeth resembled fangs that were set in a semi-permanent snarl, and his hands—which were tied behind his back with much better rope—were now claws. That should have concerned the Core Four and the Auradon thief that the king's temper was over the scale.

But they were more worried about the blood that covered him.

However, the group deduced that it wasn't the king's blood, considering the condition of the pirate standing on the other side of him.

To summarize: Harry looked like _shit_!

Starting with his face, the pirate looked as though he has two black eyes and tape was pressed against the bridge of his broken nose. Trailing down his body, there was an enormous bandage covering half of his neck from a possible injury. From the bulkiness of his undershirt, the group suspected that more bandages covered his entire stomach, making them wonder what exactly happened to him.

Although Mal should have probably felt at least somewhat horrified by what her boyfriend possibly did, she couldn't help feeling . . . _satisfied_.

After all the pain and suffering she went through because of him, it was about time that Harry got what he deserved. Abusing her, abandoning the child he created, having the audacity to believe that it wasn't his fault . . . this was _exactly_ what he needed to knock him down a peg or two. Mal maintained a calm composure as she walked further through the pier, but she couldn't help wondering . . .

What did Harry do to make Ben go 'Beast'?

Before long, Mal reached the bridge connecting the pier to the pirate ship as her friends supportively stood behind him. Almost like it was rehearsed, the two feuding cousins walked across the bridge to meet in the middle for the exchange—Uma with a tight hold on Ben's arm and Mal with the sparkly wand gripped in her closed fist. Since Harry was following his captain like a lost puppy, Jay instinctively followed the fairy on one side while Aziz followed on the other.

As Mal tried to hand over the wand, Uma held up her own hand to stop her. "Hold up," she demanded stubbornly. "I need something more for the exchange."

Mal raised a suspicious eyebrow. "The deal was—"

"I know what the deal was," Uma barked quite rudely. "But that was before your precious king nearly _killed_ my first mate. Gil tried to get him off Harry, but it took hitting King Ben upside the head with a metal pipe to get him to stop."

"He deserved it," Ben growled, looking as though he was trying to contain his anger. "_He _insulted and disrespected my _queen_."

Mal couldn't help perking up at his words. Although she was intrigued by his nickname for her, she was more interested in the reasoning behind his actions. Admittedly, she hurt Harry for the same reasons, but not enough to kill him. Does Ben know—?

"And who the hell are you?" Uma interrogated the other AK on the Isle.

"Aziz," Aziz introduced before nodding to the king. "I'm his best friend and Jay's significant other."

"I can tell by the clothes," Uma took a moment to examine him, probably thinking the same thing Mal did when she first saw him in the outfit. Her eyes trailed to a stop, glinting greedily at a shiny object on the teenager's forearm. "Nice bracelet," she complimented with an objective in mind. "Real gold?"

Aziz hid that arm behind his back to keep it out of the pirate captain's gaze. "Maybe. Who wants to know?"

"Someone who wants to bargain with your 'best friend's' life," Uma retorted snidely. "Throw in the bracelet and he will be spared."

Aziz spared a quick glance at the king, who gave his friend a subtle, confident nod. Adverting his gaze back to Uma, the Auradon thief declared, "Deal."

"No deal!" Jay intervened as he took a protective step forward. "That bracelet has been in his family for years—"

"Which makes it that more valuable," Uma interrupted with a mischievous smile. "Valuable enough to save a king."

"Just take it already," Aziz barked quite rudely. "There's no point dragging this on when we don't need to."

Unclasping the gold bracelet, the Auradon thief willing handed over the bracelet while Harry reluctantly freed the captive king. Putting the bracelet into her leather jacket pocket, Uma placed a hand on Ben's shoulder before he could stand, almost like she was warning him to not stand so quickly.

The sea witch held out her free hand expectantly. "The wand, _Mali_."

Glaring at her relative for using her father's nickname for her, Mal held out the counterfeit wand to Uma and her other hand to Ben, who grasped it gingerly. With that simple touch, his monster-like claws reverted back to normal while his fangs reverted back to normal teeth.

Either Uma didn't notice, or she didn't care. She was too focused grinning like a mad woman with the wand in her possession. As the pirate captain retreated to her ship, Ben quickly leaped up besides Mal, who practically dragged the king off the bridge so they could have a head-start.

With her pirate posse swarmed around her, Uma pointed the replica overhead to the sky as she chanted, "_By the power of the sea, tear it down and set us free!_"

Thrusting the wand at the magical barrier, nothing happened. Uma's smile faded away, realizing she has been duped. "No!" She screamed as she slammed the phony wand over her knee, easily breaking it in two.

When she raised her head, Uma noticed Mal and her friends nearly halfway through the pier. "You do _not _get to win every time!" She regarded her crew. "Get them!"

Before that could happen, Carlos launched a smoke bomb at the crew, exploding in a thick color cloud that bought him and his friend some time to escape. The pirates roared in anger, swarming past their spiteful sea captain. The friends took strong stances and braced themselves for the clash against the pirates.

Harry, though, focused all his attention on Jay and Aziz. "Hello, Jay," he greeted as he removed his pirate hat, keeping it from obscuring his vision.

"Haven't you learned your lesson already?" Jay interrogated as he gripped his sword tightly. "Do I really need to kick your ass in front of my fiancé too?"

Harry raised what looked like an annoyed eyebrow at the new information. "_Fiancé_?"

"Proposed to him a few hours ago," Aziz acknowledged, casually leaning against a nearby wall while the rest of his friends were busy fighting for their life. "But if I were you, I'd be more focused on this sparing match."

Frustration running through his veins, Harry unsheathed his sword and abruptly swung it and his hook at Jay, who dodged the blades with complete ease. However, as blades hit blades, Harry somehow managed to pin Jay against a rail with his hook and sword locked on Jay's sword.

In a few snake-like moves that Aziz found quite entertaining, Jay freed himself from the tangle, knocking Harry down while yanking his hook right out of his hand.

"Lookie, lookie," Aziz teased as Jay dangled the hook from his sword blade and held it over the edge of the boardwalk. "My _albi_'s got hookie."

Ignoring the Auradonian's taunts, Harry tossed his sword aside in surrender before extending his hand for the precious object. Instead, Jay let the hook slide off his blade, falling deep into the sea. Harry pushed passed him, ducking under the rail to dive after it.

* * *

Carlos yelled from the top of the pier, "Jay! Aziz! Start the car!"

Jay ran across the bridge with Aziz following, and vanished into the pipe tunnel. Mal bolted up more steps of the multi-level pier, finally reaching the top when she became face-to-face with her king. "Ben!" she cried. "We need to go!"

A drenched Harry onto the platform and swung his sword at Ben once again. Ducking behind a ladder, Ben grabbed Harry's arm to keep him in place and tickled him under his chin. "Coochy coochy coo," Ben mockingly recited. "How's it feel to be a pirate now, eh?"

Harry lunged at the king with his hook, but Ben moved out of the way just a purple cloud exploded. Every pirate backed away as they spluttered and coughed on the smoke. It was just the diversion the friends needed.

As her other two friends and her beloved ran across the bridge and into the pipe tunnel, the fairy paused for a moment. Mal spun around at the entrance just as Uma ran up the hill toward the bridge. With a strong kick of her boot, Mal broke the bridge connecting to the pipe tunnel, which dangled uselessly from an old chain. Mal smirked triumphantly, vanishing into the darkness of the tunnel to join her friend.

Out of breath, Gil commented positively, "At least you still have the bracelet."

At the reminder, Uma reached into her pocket to retrieve the unbelievably priceless jewelry to marvel at its beauty again.

_But it wasn't there!_


	32. Chapter 32

Even after they made it to the outskirts of the Isle, the fairy and the king were trying to catch their breath from the exhilarating escape. Ben kept an empty space between him and Mal to prevent any of the blood that was on him from getting on her.

"Ben," Aziz acknowledged from the front passenger seat, though he kept his gaze forward. "There's a bag of clothes back there for you. I didn't know what kind of trouble you were getting into, but I thought it would be best that the other 'AKs' don't see you covered in blood while wearing an Isle outfit. There should be some wipes back there to get the blood off your hands."

While the king changed out of his soiled shirt and jacket into something much more presentable, the six of them managed to safely cross over the barrier with no other problems.

"So!" Carlos began to get a conversation started. "What exactly did Harry do to make you go 'Beast'?"

"He just pushed my buttons," Ben claimed with a nonchalant shrug. "Besides, he was annoying. He needed something done to him to contain that wild attitude of his."

"You did a pretty good job at that," Jay remarked as he kept his eyes focused on the road since he was driving. "It didn't take long for me to kick his ass today."

Ben absentmindedly nodded as he wiped the blood off his hands with the conveniently given rags, until he perked up at something peculiar that he noticed. "Why are you and Aziz trying to avoid looking at me?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jay denied a little tensely while flexing his hands on the steering wheel.

That's when it clicked.

"You two had sex on my bed!"

At the accusation, the three remaining Core Four members whipped their heads toward the couple that took up the front seats. All of them knew about Ben's one rule involving his shared dorm room because he constantly teases the couple about it when they walk off together.

"How could you break the rule?" Ben interrogated.

"Technically, we didn't." Turning around in his seat, Aziz smiled schemingly at his best friend. "You said I couldn't do anything with my boyfriend. You _never_ said anything about my _fiancé_."

Obviously, Evie and Carlos slightly gasped at the announcement, their mouths agape in surprise. Meanwhile, Mal had a happy smile on her face while she admittedly squealed in delight. "You proposed?" She questioned rhetorically, yet giddily. "I thought you were going to wait until tonight!"

"I couldn't wait that long anymore," Aziz stubbornly insisted with a slight pout in his tone. He turned his head a little more to get a better view of an amused king. "Sorry about your bed, Ben. I was just so happy that he said 'yes' that I pushed him onto the nearest bed. Maybe that could be your engagement gift to us?"

"_And_ this." Fishing inside his Isle jacket, Ben lightly lobbed a familiar item to the Auradon thief. "Your grandmother's bracelet," the king acknowledged. "I'm surprised I didn't get caught when I swiped it from Uma."

"I'm surprised none of us noticed," Evie commented, though she had an impressed tone in her voice. "I know we taught you how to steal, but I didn't think you were good enough to remain undetected."

"Of course he could," Aziz defended as he placed the jewelry back on his arm. "He learned from watching his best friend, who is the best thief in Auradon!"

Mal teased, "And now the best thief in Auradon is getting married to the best thief on the Isle."

* * *

Soon enough, the limo was parked back in its usual spot with the six teens making their way across the sunny campus after their eventful twenty-four hours. Mal stayed in the back of the group with Ben while Evie and Carlos were just a few feet ahead with Jay and Aziz leading their way.

Adjusting the quiver of swords that were slung over his shoulders, Aziz announced, "I'll take these swords back to the amphitheater before practice starts."

"Can you find Lonnie on your way?" Jay requested. "And tell her about our plan?"

Aziz sighed exasperatedly. "I _guess _I can since you're my fiancé." Pausing in his stride for a moment, the Auradon thief gave a quick kiss on the cheek. "Love you, _albi_."

As the lover boy walked off, Jane approached the group from nowhere, her faithful tablet still in hand. "There you guys are!" She called out as she came within hearing range. "And I've been looking all over for you, Mal. I have a letter for you."

With a curious tilt of her head, the fairy graciously accepted the envelope that magically appeared in the cheerleader's hand. Ripping it open, Mal couldn't help smiling upon reading the contents. "It's from Queen Leah," she revealed to her friends. "She can't make it to cotillion tonight because her family, mainly Audrey, doesn't want her to go. She hopes that I have a wonderful time and she will be watching tonight on the Auradon News Network. She knows that I will be the most gorgeous girl there because no one can compete with my beauty."

"That was sweet of her," Evie complimented with a soft smile. "Queen Leah must really respect you to do such a thing."

"Ben," Jane interrupted before more could be said about that. "I need to speak with you about the _thing _for tonight."

"Hold on a moment," Ben requested as he adverted his attention to his beautiful fairy. "Do you still want to post-pone a couple weeks? I would completely understand, considering our conversation on the Isle."

Surprisingly enough, Mal had a genuine smile on her face as she stubbornly shook her head. "No," she denied, her smile growing with her giddiness. "I want to keep cotillion on for tonight. I _want_ to keep my promise to you. I want the reward and the reminder that will come with it. I want to say those three words to you, and I know I can tonight."

Smiling himself at his beloved's determination, Ben promised, "Then I'll see you tonight at cotillion."

Placing a soft and gentle kiss on his beloved's cheek—since she did so to him the day prior—Ben walked off with Jane to finish last minute details on a particular surprise. Meanwhile, Mal was about to head to her dorm room to write to her father when Evie suddenly grabbed her wrist, whirling the fairy around so she was facing her three friends.

"We need to talk," Evie insisted with a worried shake of her head. "Why didn't you tell us you were homesick?"

"I didn't want any of you to worry," Mal claimed with a careless shrug. "I only told Jay how much I missed my dad because he knew how much I cared for him. I haven't seen my father in over a year so I was hoping I could see him during my visit to the Isle. Although that didn't happen, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Carlos interrogated worriedly.

"I promise I'm fine," Mal reassured as she tried to maintain a calm smile. "I'm going to head to my room, write to my dad about my failed attempt to see him, write a 'thank you' letter to Queen Leah for her kind words, and then try to get ready for cotillion."

"Wait until I finish delivering dresses before you start," Evie requested as a mischievous smile formed on her face. "I've been working on a second dress for you, requested by Ben. The yellow-and-blue dress was basically a distraction so you wouldn't see the real dress. Trust me, you will love it."

Mal couldn't help how her smile turned giddy. "And hopefully Ben will think I'm beautiful in it when I tell him I love him."

* * *

Less than half an hour later, Jay was in his R.O.A.R. uniform when he strolled into the amphitheater, where the rest of the team was stretching for practice.

"Alright!" Jay shouted as he clapped to get his teammates' attention. "Bring it in, boys!"

Within a couple moments, everyone had gathered around him. Aziz stood right next to him, holding his hand to display his support for what his beloved is about to do. Taking a deep breath, the Lost Boy decided to just go for it.

"Alright," Jay began with feign confidence, "first, the rumors are true. Aziz, my new fiancé, won't be continuing school at Auradon Prep for the rest of the semester. That means we are officially down two players on the team."

"Hold on!" Chad interrupted dramatically. "You are engaged to the _tapette_?"

Aziz snarled as he tried to lunge at the spoiled prince, but Jay managed to hold him back before he could cause any kind of damage. "_Enough_," Jay growled at the feuding boys. "Chad, I am tired of your blatant disrespect. On the Isle of the Lost, if you are strong, we want you on our side: gay, bi, or straight; boy, _or _girl."

"We don't break the rules here in Auradon," Chad argued spitefully. "If you want to do that, you'll need to go back to the Isle."

"He doesn't have to break the rules," Aziz retorted. "He's going to _bend _them."

Jay pulled the rule book from his pocket and read from it. "'The team shall be comprised of _a captain_ and eight men.'" He paused momentarily to smile at his teammates. "So, give it up for your new team captain!"

Jay pocketed the rule book as he turned to the doorway. A split second later, Lonnie appeared in her custom-designed pink-and-teal R.O.A.R. uniform and joined the team in the center. Jay placed the captain's whistle around her neck before he began clapping, starting a chain reaction of applause throughout the rest of the team—well, except for Chad. He was being a jerk about the whole scenario.

Lonnie blew her whistle to start her new rightful role as captain. "Alright, fellas! Give me ten!" she instructed.

Obediently, the boys dropped to the ground for push-ups. Each counted out-loud the numbers that they were on. Though he technically wouldn't be on the team after that day, Aziz went along with the exercise to show his respect toward the new female captain.

Noticing the slacker in the group, Lonnie placed a foot on Chad's back to get him to try harder. "Pick it up, Chad!" she ordered. "Nice form, Jay! Are you practicing for your honeymoon with Aziz?"

Most of the team couldn't help snickering at their captain poking harmless fun at their teammate. "Trust me," Jay commented while continuing with the assigned push-ups, "I don't need practice for pleasing my fiancé."

Shaking her head in amusement, Lonnie blew her whistle again. "Okay, practice is over," she announced to _her_ team. "Get out of here! Go get ready for Cotillion."

The team dispersed and jogged out of the amphitheater.

"Hey, love birds!" Lonnie called from the arena.

Jay and Aziz momentarily paused in their stride to walk over to her. Lonnie smiled proudly at them. "Thank you for coming up with the loophole," she expressed graciously. "I can't wait to tell my mom."


	33. Chapter 33

**I am so sorry for this taking longer than I thought it would. I thought I could finish it last night, but that didn't happen.**

**It's finals week! I have five assignments that are either due today or tomorrow, so needless to say you probably won't get an update on Wednesday. This next chapter you won't want me to rush.**

**Trust me.**

* * *

Cotillion could be best described as a fairy tale for those who attended the extravagant celebration.

The party took place on a white yacht docked in the marina with the Auradon royal crests adorned on either side of it. Strings of light hang over the deck to help brighten up the dance floor in the dark night. With those lights and the moon shining above them, everything and everyone looked absolutely incredible.

After fumbling with his words for three straight days, Carlos finally managed to ask Jane to be his date to the event _and _to be his girlfriend. The two were together on the dance floor with Evie and Doug when Jay and Lonnie joined them, which was a little unusual since someone was missing.

"Where's Aziz?" Evie wondered as she gazed behind said-thief's fiancé expectantly.

Jay sighed in dismay. "His parents called," he informed, sounding worried about what it could be about. "Aziz was so happy when he told them I said 'yes' to his proposal. In a split second, his blissful smile flipped into a miserable frown at something they said. He walked off to finish the conversation in private, but that was nearly twenty minutes ago. I'm scared that it's about Ra—"

"Hey," interrupted a sullen person.

Flinching at the sudden voice, the six of them turned to see a saddened, yet handsome Aziz. It was clearly obvious that whatever his parents told him wasn't good news. His face was unusually pale and his eyes were puffy enough to make the others believe that he was trying to contain his negative emotions.

"Hey," Jay cautiously greeted in return. "You alright?"

Intaking a shaky breath, Aziz glumly shook his head in denial. "No," he admitted reluctantly. "Jay, you know I love you, but I need my best friend first. Have any of you seen Ben? He's not answering my calls and he usually does."

"Not since we got back from our tip," Carlos answered before turning to his new girlfriend. "Jane?"

"Not since this afternoon," Jane denied, though she sounded like she had something else on her mind. "In fact, I tried calling him a couple hours ago. He didn't answer then either."

"Something must be wrong. He wouldn't ignore you _and _me, especially today," Aziz stubbornly claimed while the music suddenly stopped playing. "Let me go see if his moth—"

Trumpets began to play fanfare, interrupting the Arabian prince. All eyes turned toward Lumiere, who stood at the top of the stairs, wearing a white suit with gold epaulets and a matching gold bow tie.

"The future _Lady Mal_!" Lumiere announced as he grandly gestured toward the entrance.

In the next moment, Mal appeared at the top of the staircase with a happy smile on her face. Her long purple hair cascaded down her back with a gold crown—engraved with the two dragons forming a heart—resting atop her head. The fairy wore a beautiful purple dress with rich layers of fabric that swept pass her feet and an enormous purple cape that trailed behind her.

Mal smiled brightly as the crowd below cheered at her arrival. Though, her smile faltered when she noticed a particular person—the one person she desperately wanted to see—was nowhere in sight.

However, she didn't want her hesitation to be noticed by the others around. Careful to not trip over her enormous dress, Mal slowly descended the stairs, where Queen Belle and King Beast awaited her at the bottom.

"Hi," Mal greeted somewhat nervously.

"Ben is on his way," King Beast promised stiffly. "Maybe this time you and your friends won't cause a scene that ruins yet another special event."

"Dear," Queen Belle scolded quietly so the guests couldn't hear the 'little' squabble. "Watch your tone with her. She's Ben's girlfriend, remember?"

"I remember that my son is a poor judge of character," King Beast retorted bitterly. "First, he befriends that _tapette _and now he is dating a villain from the Isle of the Lost. He should have stayed with Audrey, who is an _actual_ princess."

Mal cocked her head as her eyes glowed the unusual vibrant hues in annoyance. "I get that you don't like me. I get that you will never trust me because my parents are villains. And in case you forgot, _Audrey_ was the one that cheated on Ben, not me. I could _never_ do that to him." The fairy paused in her rant to smile softly at her boyfriend's parents. "Because I love your son."

Taking that as a sign that he needed to intervene, Aziz abruptly yet carefully pulled the fairy away from the retired royals and led her onto the deck. "Hi," he greeted blandly. "Have you heard from Ben?"

"No, but his parents said he was on his way," Mal informed before she tilted her head curiously at the Auradon thief's sad attitude. "What's wrong?"

"_Rajah_," Aziz confessed as he choked back a sob. "He's . . ."

Without needing to hear more, Mal wrapped her arms around the prince's neck in her best comforting hug. While still be cautious of how he touched the fairy, Aziz lightly returned the hug as he buried his head on the top of her shoulder to hide the grief that he didn't want to display in front of his fiancé. The last thing Aziz wanted was for Jay to see him so weak. That's why he needed—

"King Benjamin!" Lumiere announced as the fanfare started again, forcing the sweet moment between the teenagers to end as they separated from one another.

In the next moment, Ben appeared at the top of the staircase, wearing a royal-blue silk jacket with gold accents that was nothing like the Isle outfit he wore just hours prior. Ben stared vacantly at the applauding crowd, until his eyes met with Mal's. She tried smiling as best as she could, considering the predicament she was in moments before.

As the king descended the stairs, Mal felt one of her friends nudge her from behind. "Go get him," Evie softly encouraged.

Allowing her smile to grow, the fairy walked forward until she was only a foot away from the king. Taking the first action, Mal curtsied jokingly in greeting, hoping to spark some kind of positive reaction from the king. All Ben did was bow with a blank expression on his face, not once hinting if he understood the meaning or reasoning behind the action.

"Mal," Ben started as the two came up from their downward position, "I wish I had more time to explain."

The fairy tilted her slightly at the curious phrase, and the fact that his eyes were in slits like an animals. However, before she could ponder on how that was possible, the king adverted his attention to the staircase, where a spotlight shined on the empty entrance way.

But it wasn't empty for long.

Someone who Mal thought would never betray her entered the grand staircase in a teal-and-gold mermaid-style dress. Growing up, that someone was the only one that knew that Hades was Mal's father because Hades was also her great-uncle, making that someone and Mal cousins. At a very young age, Hades taught the young girls that family was everything, especially since they were trapped on an island with no way out. Even if they one day hated one another, they still needed to do everything in their power to help each other and never intentionally hurt the other.

That's why the betrayal felt worse to Mal when Uma smiled nervously at the astonished crowd before walking down the stairs, where she momentarily stood face to face with King Ben.

And the thing that made Mal's breath catch in her throat as her eyes started to water? The thing that made her want to hide in a corner and scream her pain until she lost her voice? The thing that made her doubt that she was ever truly loved?

The beast-head ring that was going to be Mal's reward for keeping her promise was now on Uma's finger, which Ben had kissed when the sea witch was close to him.

"I'm so sorry, Mal," Ben apologized insincerely as he adjusted his attention to the fairy. "Something happened to me while I was on the Isle with Uma. A . . ."

The king trailed off for a moment. The one that was closest to Ben—or knew his secret the longest—noticed that he was gritting his teeth, like something was preventing him from saying what he really wanted.

Or . . . he was trying to keep something contained.

"Connection," Ben finally finished before he could be called out on his stumble.

"Wait." Mal shook her head in clear denial. "Did you go _back _for her? Even after I told you I was going to keep my promise?"

Ben hesitated for a brief moment, almost like he was battling with himself on what to say next. Noticing this, Uma quickly intervened. "He didn't have to," she claimed. "I dove through the barrier before it closed."

"Don't you see, Mal?" Ben interrogated before the fairy had a moment to think. "You were right! You never told me you love me because you knew we weren't meant to be together! I was meant to be with Uma."

"_Bull-shit_!" Aziz blatantly cursed at the proclaim, causing some guest to flinch at the sudden vulgar language.

Meanwhile, Ben glared viciously at his closest friend. "Stay out of this, _tapette_."

Those who didn't know what that word meant were confused that their king said it. Those who did know had their mouths hanging slightly ajar at the idea that the king would say such a thing. The one who was used to being called that word narrowed his eyes at the one who was most likely responsible for the king's words.

"Uma," Aziz spat bitterly to get the sea witch's attention. "What did you do to Ben?"

Um shrugged carelessly at the hinted accusation. "I don't know what you're talking abou—"

"_Don't _play games with me," Aziz demanded as he was about to reach the boiling point of his temper. "I am already having a shitty night. My family's pet tiger, who has been alive for other thirty _years_, just died in his sleep. I am an emotional wreck right now and you placing an obedient, slave, or whatever spell you placed on my best friend is only making my mood worse."

Uma raised a curious eyebrow to hide the surprise she was feeling on the inside. "Now why would I use those kind of spells on Ben?"

"Because you can't put a love spell on someone who's already in love," Aziz stubbornly retorted. "My guess is you found that out the hard way and had to settle for the spell he's under now."

"I'm not under a spell," Ben claimed to appease the situation, but his words were something someone under a spell would say. "I'm not in love with Ma—"

"_Bull-shit_!" Aziz cursed again, purposely interrupting the king. "You've been in love with her for almost four years!"

Mal was completely puzzled by the new information. "But I only met Ben a year ago during our sophomore year of high school."

"But he has known you much _much _longer," Aziz claimed as he decided to reveal some of his friend's secrets. "Ever since one random night during our eighth-grade year, Ben has had dreams about you that only stopped when you finally came to Auradon. He didn't know your name or who your parents were, but that didn't stop him from falling in love with you. His proclamation to get Isle children to Auradon started because of _you_. Once he learned your name from Yen Sid, he would say 'my Mal' when speaking of you."

Aziz cocked his head quizzedly at his best friend. "Isn't that right, Ben?" he interrogated rhetorically. "Are you going to deny it? Are you going to let Uma keep this hold over you or are you going to let your 'beast' help you break free?"

"_Aziz_," Mal scolded at hearing a particular word. "Careful. You and I are the only ones that know about _him_."

"You know, I really don't care," the Auradon thief retorted to display his annoyance. "My best friend insulted me because he's under a spell just five minutes after I found out Rajah was gone. It's either I bring 'him' out, or you knock some sense into him. I'll try first. Lumiere!"

Aziz gazed up at the loyal servant, who still remained at the top of the staircase. "Will you please present Ben's gift to Mal?"

"And now for the unveiling of King Ben's masterpiece," Lumiere announced grandly, "designed especially for his _queen_."

Signaling a guard across the deck, the art piece was uncovered as fanfare began to play. When a leather cord was pulled, a royal-blue curtain fell to reveal a beautiful stained glass panel that must have taken weeks to create.

With the backdrop on the art piece being a sunset, Ben was knelt on one knee in his royal-blue suit as he had Mal's hand in his. Stained-glass Mal wore the same purple dress, gold crown, and cape that the real Mal was currently wearing. It was such a touching scene that the fairy couldn't believe her eyes. It made her want to say—

"Cover that thing back up!" Uma ordered spitefully.

"I will not!" Lumiere proclaimed. "I will not take orders from you!"

Despite not getting what she wanted, Uma smiled sweetly at Ben, whose expression turned blank at seeing the art piece. "Why don't you tell everyone the gift you have for _me_?" the sea witch cooed in a tone that made it sound like she wasn't asking.

"Your gift," Ben began slowly, "will be the removal of the barrier around the Isle of the Lost!"

Obviously, nearly everyone gasped at the announcement. Choosing to ignore the pointed looks given to her by her boyfriend's gay friend, Mal decided to take her turn on breaking the spell.

"Ben, you don't want to do that," Mal claimed as she took a cautious step toward her beloved. "Now is not the _time_. You know this, like you know the real me."

Noticing that his expression was still blank, the fairy decided to do something more to get some kind of emotion or reaction out.

"You know why I never told you those three words," Mal insisted as her voice started to get a little shaky at the memory. "The reason being I was sexual abused on the Isle of the Lost."

There was another round of gasps at that 'little' announcement. The VKs that didn't know about it had their jaws dropped at the revelation. One felt a new sense of . . . determination, and it wasn't for stealing the wand like she always wanted.

"_You _were one out of the few people that I told," Mal reminded as she forced herself to fight through her emotions. "You made sure to abide by the rules I requested so I would be comfortable with our relationship. I asked you to be patient and you have been longer than I realized. That is one of the reasons while I love you."

The fairy paused for a brief moment to watch the way the king's eyes lit up at hearing a certain phrase. Smiling softly, Mal teased, "Did you hear me Ben? I love you. I have always loved you."

Stepping forward to close the distance between them, Mal lightly placed a hand on Ben's cheek as she gently kissed him, causing the audience to coo and awe at the display of affection. After a moment, the fairy pulled away just far enough to gaze into her king's eyes. The fogginess in them cleared away to reveal the love and admiration for the one standing before.

"My Mal," Ben softly announced as he carefully wrapped his arms around her petite waist. "My beautiful queen."

Enjoying the sound of that compliment, Mal leaned her forehead against Ben's to relish in the sweet moment for just a few minutes longer. That ended when a sudden 'splash' broke the quiet atmosphere and someone asking where Uma was.

Turns out, during the couple's lovey-dovey moment, Uma jumped off the yacht and into the water, taking the gold beast-head ring with her.

"So much for a reminder," Ben mumbled to his beloved.

Mal smiled a little more. "I don't need a reminder anymore," she insisted, "because I truly love you."

As Ben was about to kiss his beloved again, someone patted his shoulder. When he turned his head, the color of the king's face paled tremendously. "Aziz, I am so sor—"

"Don't apologize," Aziz interrupted with a slight forcefulness in his tone. "I know you weren't in control. What I need really need right now is a hug from my best friend before I break down again."

Not needing to hear more, the king broke his hold on his queen to give his best friend a comforting hug. The hug did somewhat help with his depression, but Aziz didn't realize then that his fiancé would give him and his family something to help with their grief—

While the king would be on his way to Agrabah from visiting his princess on the Isle of the Lost.


	34. Chapter 34

Three months after the eventful cotillion, a strange man covered by shadows appeared on the Isle of the Lost, yet only one knew that he was ever there. Well . . . technically two, but the child has never gone outside her home, so there was no worry of her telling someone she shouldn't about the king's secret travels.

In fact, the child was the reason Ben came back to the Isle on his own.

With some secretive, skillful, and careful planning, the king managed to pick a perfect time to complete his objective without getting caught. It was also quite the coincidence that the day he picked for his travel was also the day the Core Four—more specifically Jay—wanted to travel to Agrabah. Since school finally ended for the academic year, students were now allowed to travel to other kingdoms, which meant Jay could finally give his fiancé and his family the gift he has been planning for the past few months to help with their grieving.

However, that matter will be discussed later on.

Originally the Core Four wanted Ben to join them on their venture to a new kingdom, but the king claimed he had a last-minute meeting with Fairy Godmother regarding a confidential topic. This was actually true since he did inform the headmistress of _part _of his agenda for being on the island. Upon his persistent offer, the Core Four used his private jet to fly the long hours to the Arabian kingdom. After he finishes with his 'business', Ben would meet up with them in Agrabah with the help of some magic.

Just a few minutes after the Core Four boarded the secluded plane, Ben was riding through the grungy streets of the Isle of the Lost on his motorcycle. The king made sure to travel the exact way that was instructed so he wouldn't be seen. The last thing he needed was someone seeing him and spoiling _his _surprise for his queen.

Within a few minutes, Ben managed to drive into an underground tunnel where a gate in the shape of a skull blocked his path. Knowing of this obstacle ahead of time, the king pulled out the skeleton key that he received in a letter just a few days prior and unlocked the gate. Driving through the entrance way, the king locked the barricade back before continuing on the path, having to go around an old miner's cart in the process.

When he could travel no farther on his motorcycle, Ben rested the vehicle against the wall before walking the rest of the way. In no time at all, the king had finally arrived at the end of the tunnel, emerging in the living quarters of the cave.

"You're late," scolded a masculine voice that tried to keep quiet. "I put her down for her nap twenty minutes ago. What took so long?"

"I have a good reason for that, Hades," Ben claimed as he cautiously walked into the living room. "I had to negotiate with a seller for Jay. She found out at the last second that the 'gift' was for her Sultana, so she doubled the price."

"The people of Agrabah can be selfish," Hades warned as he continued to make lunch for himself and one other person. "Most aim to be richer than the Sultana, so they turn into shrewd and selfish business-people."

Ben raised a curious eyebrow as he approached stood on one side of the kitchen island, which separated the human king and the immortal god at the moment. "You know that how?"

"I've had to judge a few of their souls, and they confessed to their selfishness so they could receive a lesser punishment," Hades casually remarked as he finished the meal. "Did you get the seller to lower it?"

"To the original price," Ben slightly boasted. "I may have threatened to have her business inspected and possibly shut down if it doesn't follow the new regulations that Queen Jasmine created a month or so before Rajah passed."

Hades allowed himself to smirk appreciatively at the king's methods. "I'm impressed. I didn't think someone as noble and fair as you would do such a thing."

"That is being fair," Ben argued defensively. "That seller and quite a few others are taking advantage of the Sultana's grief. None of them are bothering to adhere to the new rules because they believe she will forget about it, or at least that's what Aziz told me from his visit in the marketplace a week or so ago."

"His parents aren't doing anything about it?"

"Aladdin doesn't have as much power as his wife so he's waiting until she's better to do anything," Ben informed as he leaned over the table for support. "But they aren't the people I came to talk about. I want to talk about—"

"My baby girl," Hades knowingly finished while he grabbed the silverware for the 'feast'. "I'm not surprised that you figured out I'm Mali's father. In your letters, you say you figured it out due to realistic dreams, which intrigues me. The Fates revealed that they made that happen for a reason—"

"I want to marry your daughter," Ben interrupted impatiently.

Instead of gasping, having his eyes bug out, or jaw-dropping at the news, Hades merely shook his head in amusement. "Again, I am not surprised," he claimed calmly. "But don't you think it is too soon in your relationship to even ponder the idea?"

"I've been in love with your daughter since the first time I dreamed of her when I was fourteen," Ben stated as his stubbornness grew rapidly. "And I have loved your grand-daughter since the first time I dreamed of her at age fifteen. I noticed in the first letter—"

"It was the correct date," Hades interjected with a roll of his eyes. "I didn't say anything then because I didn't have the conversation with the Fates yet. Your dream seems so unbelievable, and I'm not sure if I should believe that it will come true."

"I am going to turn that dream into a reality," Ben vowed determinedly, "but I can't do that until I have your permission to marry your daughter."

"I need to ask a few questions first to see if you are worthy enough." Leaning against the kitchen counter and crossing his arms to get more comfortable, Hades wondered, "Have Mali or Jay told you what exactly happened yet?"

"No," Ben honestly denied as he gripped the kitchen island tightly to keep _someone _contained. "On our first date, Mal said something happened to her on the Isle that made her want to take our relationship slow, and I have respected her wishes. At cotillion, she further revealed that she was sexually abused, but didn't give any specifics on what the abuse was. I know because of my dreams. You and a few other clues helped me determine that what I thought happened in my dreams was true."

Hades nodded absentmindedly as he went to the next question. "I heard a rumor that you nearly killed someone during your last trip here. Care to tell me who and why?"

"Harry Hook, the ba—jerk," Ben quickly corrected himself, "that abused my queen and fathered her child. I attacked him because of what he did to her _and _for insulting my queen. I know I probably shouldn't have, but my temper got the best of me."

"Don't be apologetic about it," Hades insisted somewhat stubbornly. "It's better that it was you that lost your temper instead of me. I have one last question."

The immortal paused for a moment to prepare himself and the king for the question. Raising a curious eyebrow, Hades cautiously asked, "Can you love her knowing that he is her father?"

"Absolutely," Ben agreed determinedly, "because I already do. He's not going to step up, but I am more than willing to do so. I want her to be mine, because I _love _her."

"Grandpa Aido?"

The mortal king perked up slightly at hearing the young child-like voice calling out for her grandfather. Turning around, Ben lost his breath upon gazing at the beauty of the two-year-old toddler. Just like her mother, she had flawless pale skin and natural purple curly hair that reached just below her waist. Her eyes were the lightest shade of blue Ben has ever seen.

Smiling softly at the little girl, Ben greeted kindly, "Hello, Mallory."

Sweet innocent Mallory squinted her eyes for a moment before her entire face lit up like it was Christmas day. Gasping dramatically, she dropped her blanket that was wrapped around her slightly chubby figure before she ran toward the 'stranger', squealing excitedly, "Daddy!"

Curious by the name he was called, Ben lifted the little girl into his arms when she was within reach. Once rested onto the king's lap, Mallory wrapped her tiny arms around his neck while smiling giddily at the man she believed she knew. "I missed you, Daddy!"

"Lory," Hades chided sternly. "He's not your dad."

"Not yet," Ben corrected as he adjusted himself so they could all see each other, "but I want to be."

When the toddler tilted her head curiously, the king explained to the child, "I love your mommy very much. I want to marry her so we can be together, so she can be my queen. If we marry, you will be my little girl. _You _will be our princess. I want to make sure you are okay with it first. So, may I marry your mommy?"

Nodding happily with a smile that couldn't get bitter, Mallory cheered, "Yes, Daddy!"

Kissing the little girl's cheek adoringly, Ben adverted his attention to the grandfather that watched the entire scene intriguingly. "Sir," the respectful king began politely, "your grand-daughter gave me her permission, so now I will ask you. May I have your blessing to marry your daughter?"

Eyeing the teenager to see if he would falter in his resolve, Hades answered, "Yes, you may marry my daughter. _However_, I want you to wait until after you've graduated high school to propose. Her life has already been difficult by having a daughter at such a young age. She doesn't need the stress of worrying about telling you about Mallory to ruin her senior year."

"I already intended on waiting," Ben promised. "I just found now to be the right time to ask so she doesn't get suspicious. If Mal doesn't tell me about Mallory within a couple days of me proposing, then I will tell her that I know."

Ben momentarily adverted his attention to the happy girl in his arms. "I have a gift for you," he revealed, finding himself smiling at the way Mallory's face lit up again. "But I need you to close your eyes first."

As his princess tightly closed her bright blue eyes, Ben pulled out a plushie toy from his pocket, somehow managing to fit in there despite it being the nearly same size as Mallory. On a count of three in his mind, he 'commanded', "Open."

Slowly opening her beautiful eyes, Mallory squealed in delight as she greedily took the toy into her arms. "Cerbie!"

You see, during the exchange of letters between the two kings, Hades had made a comment about telling Mallory stories of his three-headed dog that would guard the entrance of the Underworld known as Cerberus. Since she couldn't fully pronounce his name, Mallory would ask to hear more stories about 'Cerbie'. Ben decided to gift the little girl a stuffed toy replica of the dog so she could hold it while hearing more tales of the 'enchanted' pup.

"I knew you would like it." Ben spared a glance at Hades. "If Mal asks—"

"I'll say a family member gave it to her," Hades reassured with a careless shrug. "She'll assume that it was from one of her uncles, or maybe even one of her aunts."

Satisfied with the response, Ben took a moment to place a kiss on the forehead of his princess, who was busy hugging her new toy for dear life. "I love you, Mallory," he cooed ever so lovingly. "And I promise no harm will ever come to you."


	35. Chapter 35

**Apologies for taking so long to update. I wanted to publish this chapter on Mother's Day because it was so fitting for the holiday. However, I found myself rushing to get done and I was afraid the end results would be terrible; like the same level terrible as the cotillion chapter. I took a two-day break from writing to relax and calm down. I hope this chapter was well worth the wait. **

**Half the stuff that happens in this chapter did not occur when I originally thought of publishing it a few days ago. That kind of indicates how bad it truly was.**

**By the way . . . I told my mom I was going to take a semester, or year, break from college. She wasn't too happy, but she wasn't mad. Needless to say, she doesn't want me to tell my dad for a while, yet she almost told him two days later while drunk. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Spending just a few minutes longer with his little girl and promising to visit her again, Ben hurried home to Auradon so he could arrive in Agrabah when the Core Four did. Since Ben had recently helped the kingdom of Camelot with an undisclosed problem, Merlin the wizard magically transported the king to Agrabah, appearing at the palace gates just as the Core Four approached it as well.

All of them were excited to be staying at the unfamiliar kingdom since they have mostly lived in Auradon. Jay, on the other hand, was quite anxious about seeing Aziz and his parents, considering the abnormally large box in his hands that contained the special gift for the grieving family.

After being led to the garden inside the palace, the group took a moment to observe the depressing scene, which was the family trio sitting sadly around the fountain that Rajah used to enjoy playing by. In a small yet kind attempt to cheer them up, Jay handed off the gift to Queen Jasmine, who was most affected by the passing. The Lost Boy warned that the present may be given too early considering the unfortunate circumstance.

Curious by the thief's words and how heavy unusually heavy the box was, Queen Jasmine cautiously opened the loosely fitted lid. With it just barely lifted, the lid suddenly flung open as something fairly small lunged at her and started licking her face.

Turns out, Jay tried to save and earn as much money as he could to buy the family a tiger cub to help fill the void of Rajah's absence. The tiger cub—which had a more albino color scheme—was born the same night Rajah passed, which made some believe that he was reincarnated into the cub.

However, Queen Jasmine thought the name 'Hakim' would be a better fit, so she could honor the loyal guard that passed before Rajah had.

Anyways, during their week-long stay in Agrabah, the 'seniors'—consisting of Mal, Jay, Evie, Ben, and Aziz—were notified on their separate electronic devices to prepare for 'Secret Senior'.

Every year to start off the school year as seniors, Fairy Godmother assigns a classmate to each student that they have to get a gift for. Every student has one month to prepare a gift for their chosen classmate, which will be given the day before the school year starts so summer vacation can end on a positive note.

A week before the new seniors were assigned their classmate, Fairy Godmother sent another notice to all of them warning of the date of the exchange. That 'date' just so happened to be on Mal's birthday—

Giving Jay the perfect idea for her.

First, the Lost Boy had to do some negotiating regarding a couple situations. It took a week's worth of begging before Fairy Godmother reluctantly agreed to rig the assignment. In that same week, Jay managed to convince Carlos to switch rooms with Aziz, using the excuse of being engaged and needing as much time together as possible to plan their wedding. But there was an entirely different reason for the couple rooming together—

Which leads us to this confrontation just an hour after the classmates were assigned.

Raising a cautious eyebrow at his friend's unusual request in the privacy of her dorm-room, Mal interrogated forcefully, "You want to me to . . . _what!_"

"Give me permission to tell Aziz about Mallory," Jay repeated slowly and calmly so the fairy wouldn't freak out too much on him. "I promise, I'm not planning anything for your eighteenth birthday. I just don't want to keep secrets from my fiancé. We plan on getting married like a month or so after we graduate."

"Nearly two years of dating, yet you want to get hitched so quickly," Mal teased as she sat up to full attention on her bed. "Have you told anyone about our birthday? I don't want people knowing—"

"Because it will remind you of Mallory," Jay finished with a slight roll of his eyes. "You told me that last year. I haven't told anyone, not even Carlos and Evie, who hound me constantly around the time that they believe your birthday is. There's really no harm in telling them. It's not like another fiasco will happen like Family Day."

Mal shuddered at hearing the dreadful school event. The only good thing that happened on that day was the friendship she gained with Queen Leah. In fact, after cotillion they started writing to one another to keep their friendship alive and healthy, despite the protest of Queen Leah's family.

"Aziz is good at keeping secrets," Jay reassured softly. "I promise, he won't tell anyone about Mallory."

"Quit making promises you can't keep," Mal scolded at the ridiculous vow. "You know as well as I do that Auradonians are terrible secret keepers. Aziz will tell Ben the first chance he gets. I don't want Ben's opinion of me to change once he knows I'm a mother. I want to be the one to tell Ben when I'm ready."

"You will," Jay vowed with a certain urgency in his tone. "I promise, I will make sure Aziz knows how important it is that Ben doesn't know. I promise, you won't regret giving me permission to tell. I promise you will be _grateful _that you did."

"Again, _don't _make secrets you can't keep," Mal retorted angrily.

However, after a few moments of pondering the pros and cons of the situation, the fairy sighed exasperatedly. "Fine," Mal reluctantly relented. "You can tell, but I need a favor in exchange before you do."

"Of course," Jay agreed as he practically teemed with positive and jittery energy. "What do you need?"

"I need pictures of Hakim and Rajah," she requested, before explaining further, "I was given Aziz for the Secret Senior. For his gift, I want to do a painting. If you can get me something from your future in-laws, you can tell Aziz about Mallory."

* * *

With nearly no trouble, Jay managed to convince Queen Jasmine to send Mal a few pictures that the fairy could work from. The Sultana's only request was to be updated on the painting and the precious photographs be returned upon completion. With every update given, Mal was given more and more reassurance that the prince would fall in love with the artwork.

And on her eighteen birthday, Mal was able to see that for herself.

Just an hour or so before the senior class would have lunch at Tiana's Diner—a smaller scale version of Tiana's Palace—all of them met at Fairy Godmother's classroom to exchange their gifts. One by one the students reluctantly trudged into the room, their only motivation being the prospects of food afterwards and possibly getting an expensive gift. There were only a small handful that were genuinely eager to give their appointed person their gift.

A king was particularly anxious to get this over with since he had some place special to be.

However, Ben was able to keep that emotion at bay as he lovingly kissed his girlfriend's cheek, muttering in her ear, "Happy birthday, Mal."

Mal flinched at the greeting, eyes widening at the surprising words. "You know?" She rhetorically questioned in a whispering tone. "Did Jay tell you?"

"Professor Yen Sid did before you transferred," Ben calmly informed as he kept his voice quiet so no one else would hear. "I didn't say anything last year because _you_ didn't say anything and neither did your friends. I couldn't let it pass this year without at least acknowledging it since you turned eighteen."

"Please, don't tell—"

"Your 'secret' is safe with me," Ben reassured with a small smile. "I have some business to take care of after this, so I won't be with you during lunch. Maybe when I get back, you and I can celebrate in private. We could recreate our first date at the Enchanted Lake. What do you think?"

Surprised by the offer, the fairy couldn't help the soft smile that emerged on her face as she considered the suggestion. "Alright," Mal agreed, "but there better be hushpuppies and strawberries waiting for me instead of surprise cake."

"If that's what the birthday girl wishes," Ben lightly teased before kissing her temple lightly. "It'll be a good day. You'll see."

And she truly did.

Once all the seniors took their seats with gifts in hand—some large, but most relatively small—Fairy Godmother perkily strolled into the classroom with a clipboard in her arms with a small stack of papers in hand, most likely a list of the order of the exchange.

"Good afternoon, children!" the headmistress addressed cheerily. "We have a lot to do before our group lunch, so let's get started!"

Taking a moment to look at her chart, Fairy Godmother smiled warmly at the fairy. "Mal, you're first," she acknowledged. "Please, give your gift to your designated senior."

Exhaling softly to rid herself of her nerves, Mal slowly stood from her seat as she made her way over to the prince that sat a few tables away with her gay best friend. "Aziz," she greeted while handing over a medium-sized package wrapped in purple paper. "If you don't like it, blame your mother and fiancé for telling me otherwise."

Snickering softly at the fairy's words, Aziz graciously accepted the gift. Although he slowly opened the present to build up suspense for the class, the prince couldn't help gasping once the present—the painting—was fully revealed.

The scenery of the artwork took place in the gardens of the Agrabah palace. In the painting, Aziz was sitting on the fountain's edge with a happy smile. Hakim, the albino tiger cub, laid on his back on the prince's lap as he lulled to sleep. Rajah, the sadly deceased and loyal tiger, was curled at the prince's feet in a peaceful sleep that no one could disturb.

Aziz had no words to show his appreciation for such an incredible painting that truly honored the two beloved tigers that had become a part of his family. The prince was practically a sobbing mess when he hugged the fairy, which was the only way he could properly thank her since he lost his voice. His classmates couldn't blame Aziz for being so emotional.

But he's not the only one that would be reacting in such a way.

Unsurprisingly, it took quite a bit of time for every senior to receive their gift. Some received gift cards to fancy restaurants or expensive clothing stores because the people giving it had no idea what to get them, though Jay had no problem with that since he could pay for a date with his fiancé. Evie received a brand new tiara from Ben, who claimed that her step-sister Snow White helped design it to make sure it was perfect for the princess; much to the annoyance and jealousy of Audrey, who had only received a gift card to a restaurant.

For a moment, Mal truly believed she wouldn't be receiving a gift, until her gay best friend approached with a small purple box that had a green bow on the lid.

"I know what you're going to say," Jay insisted before Mal could open her mouth to speak, "but I kept my promise because I was planning something for this Secret Senior gig, not the other thing."

With an unmeasurable smile on his face, the Lost Boy gladly handed over the gift. "Happy 'Secret Santa'."

Glaring at Jay for making such a comment, Mal accepted the gift as she quickly removed the lid from the box, ready to get the exchange over with. However, the fairy found herself smiling at the contents inside. For her gift, Jay created a beautiful gold heart shaped locket engraved with the two dragons Mal had once created to represent her and her daughter. Inside the locket was two pictures on both sides; one being a current picture of her little Mallory holding a new stuffed toy in the shape of a three headed dog while the second was the first picture the mother-daughter had together when Mallory was first born.

Just as the fairy was going to thank the thief for such a heartwarming gift, Mal noticed a second object in the box that made her scrunch her nose in confusion as she placed the necklace around her neck. "What's that strange key for?"

"The second part of your gift," Jay revealed as his grin turned so mischievous that it reminded some of the Cheshire cat. "But there is _way_ more to it." He spared a glance toward the headmistress. "May we be excused so I can show her?"

"Of course!" Fairy Godmother declared cheerily. "In fact, everyone, take a few minutes to freshen up. We will meet out front in twenty minutes to—"

The rest couldn't be heard by a certain duo since Jay was already dragging Mal away to give her the rest of her gift.

* * *

Nearly three minutes later—a record time for running from the academic building to the dorms—Jay practically threw Mal in his shared dorm room as he securely locked the door behind them.

"Watch it!" Mal scolded her friend, who rushed around to put a few discarded objects out of the way. "I don't like you man-handling me. Touch me like that again and you'll be lucky to have kids."

"I don't think Aziz wants kids so that wouldn't work for a punishment," Jay commented offhandedly as he focused on his current task. Determining that his room was at least half-way decent, he adverted his attention to Mal.

"As you noticed, the key has two sides to it," the thief began to explain. "One side opens my bedroom door, so you can come in whenever you like."

"Why would I want to do that?" Mal interrogated with definite annoyance in her tone. "And what does the other side of the key go to?"

Instead of giving a verbal answer—because he didn't want to give anything away just yet—Jay swiped the key from the fairy before strolling to his bedside table, which had a peculiar padlock attached to the drawer. Fumbling with the lock and key for a moment, the drawer slid open with Jay pulling out a rectangular electronic device with a purple case. Walking back to his friend, Jay held out the tablet just as it began to ring.

"You may want to answer that," Jay advised with a teasing smile.

Although Mal had a deep scowl on her pale features when she answered the video call, it quickly transformed into an astonished gasp at seeing who the caller was. "Mallory?" Mal greeted in confusion.

"Mommy!" Mallory cheered as she touched the screen, disrupting the connection for just a moment. "It's our birthday, Mommy! Surprise!"

Surprised by the whole scenario, Mal whipped her head toward her grinning friend. "How long did you plan this?" the mother questioned. "Is this call only for now?"

"First, it took the full month to get everything finalized," Jay revealed as his grin grew wider. "The locket was basically a distraction for our classmates. _This_ is your real gift. I convinced Fairy Godmother to charm the tablet and send another to the Isle so you can talk with your daughter, but I told her it was so you can talk with Hades whenever you liked. As long as she or your dad answers your call, you can talk to Lory every day if you want. I told Aziz about her and gave you a key to our room—"

"So I could have a place to speak to Mallory in private," Mal deduced as her eyes grew wide at the revelation. "So I would have a safe place to speak to Lory without worrying about anyone that doesn't know about her finding out. That's why you were also so insistent on sharing a room with Aziz!"

Jay's smile grew wider than it's ever been that day at his friend figuring out the puzzle. "So? How did I do?"

Unable to help herself from smiling, Mal admitted, "It's the second-best present I ever received; the first being the birth of my daughter."

During their 'little' exchange, neither one had any idea of a somewhat similar conversation taking place just a few doors down—

In King Ben's room.


	36. Chapter 36

_Knock, knock, knock!_

Not waiting for an answer, Aziz barged into his old dorm room that still belonged to his best friend with his precious painting in his arms. "Hey, Ben?" he called out as he unconsciously closed the behind him. "Can I put thi—where are you going?"

Ben raised his gaze to his friend, halting in his actions like he had been caught in a semi-compromising position. It must have looked strange to see the well-respected King of Auradon dressed like an Isle commoner with his hooded, dark blue leather jacket and black skinny jeans that hugged him in places that an engaged man, like Aziz, shouldn't be admiring. In one hand, Ben held an incredibly worn-out backpack while the other held a small purple box with an equally small green bow on top, almost like the box Jay had just a few minutes earlier.

"It's a secret," Ben fibbed while deciding to place the peculiar box in his jacket pocket and zipping up his backpack. "It's official king business that I can't discuss."

Aziz rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Sorry, but I don't believe you. You tell me everything, but can't say where you're going?"

Huffing in aggravation that valuable time was being wasted, the king threw the backpack over one shoulder before turning to face the prince. "Why do you want the painting in my room?" Ben interrogated forcefully. "Why can't you put it in yours?"

The Auradon thief hesitated, unsure of what to say when he really should have thought of some logical excuse. "I, umm . . ."

"Didn't want to barge in on Mal taking to her daughter?" Ben easily finished with a curious raised eyebrow. "I know about the video call. Fairy Godmother told me."

"She did?" Aziz repeated in surprise. "But does that mean Fairy Godmother—"

"Still has no idea about my princess," Ben interrupted to get the conversation over with. "She had to ask my permission to allow a device to be sent to the Isle so the calls can take place. Fairy Godmother believes it's so Mal can talk to her father, not her daughter."

Aziz raised a cautious eyebrow of his own. "You know quite a bit. How do you always know so much?"

"How do I know you met Mallory over video chat?" Ben countered, surprising the prince even more. "How do I know you swore not to tell even though I already knew?"

A missing piece fitted into the overly-complicated puzzle. "Hades told you," Aziz naturally assumed.

"Nearly everything," Ben admitted. Taking a moment to cross his arms over his chest, the king smiled knowingly. "So? What do you think of my Mallory?"

"She is so beautiful!" Aziz confessed while carefully placing his irreplaceable painting on a nearby dresser. "She looks almost identical to her mother. Her eyes are such an unusual color that you want to stare into them forever!"

"I know the feeling," Ben reassured, though he was tensing up from his next thought. "Jay tell you who the father is?"

"That pirate you nearly killed a few months ago," Aziz answered like it was obvious. "That made me understand why your 'Beast' came out and did what it did."

"And I slightly understood why he didn't want kids," Ben informed as he gripped his arm to keep _something_ contained. "Harry is bisexual. He wanted to start a relationship with Jay, but ruined his chances with what he did to Mal."

Obviously, Aziz tensed at hearing his fiancé could have been in a relationship with someone else if certain events had changed. "Does Jay or Mal know that?"

"No, and they don't know that _we _know more than they think," Ben claimed matter-of-factly.

"So, are you finally going to tell me where you're going?" Aziz wondered to effectively change the subject. "Or are you going to make me come up with so many conspiracy theories that my head will explode?"

Chuckling at his friend's over-dramaticness, Ben slowly informed. "I'm going to the Isle of the Lost to spend a few hours with my daughter for her third birthday."

Aziz's jaw dropped at the announcement. "You're what?" he rhetorically questioned. "How are you acting so nonchalant about going back to the Isle? Have you done this before?"

"At least once a month since school ended last semester," Ben revealed with a careless shrug, not seeing that it was such a big deal. "The first time was two or three hours before Jay gave you and your family Hakim. I used it as a distraction so I could sneak off to the island without getting caught. During my first visit with Mallory and Hades, I asked for their blessing to marry Mal."

"You're going to propose?" Aziz deduced as his eyes grew wider with every new surprise. "When?"

"The summer after we graduate," the king somewhat impatiently informed as time ticked away too fast for his liking. "Hades only condition was me waiting until after we graduated so my queen didn't spend her whole senior year stressing about telling me about my princess."

"What do you do when you visit?"

"I'm trying to teach Mallory to read so I know just how bad her eye-sight is." Ben sighed as he recalled the last time he was with her a couple weeks ago. "She knows the alphabet and can read a few words, but the book has to be inches from her face to see clearly. When she comes to Auradon, the first thing I will do is take her to the eye doctor."

Aziz tilted his head curiously. "And what do you have planned for her birthday?"

"Just a small lunch with a cupcake for dessert." Ben, once again, shrugged carelessly at his own words. "It's nothing much, but I hope I can make it up to her with her birthday gift."

"Which is?"

"A replica of Mal's new locket." Ben rolled his eyes when his friend's jaw slackened even more. "I knew about it the same time as Hades because Jay sent him a letter asking for the photos, promising to send the originals back once he had created the scaled down pictures to fit the locket. Once he got them back, Hades sent them to me to _keep_, claiming that a dad should have a couple pictures of his daughter.

"I used the one of Mal holding Mallory when she was first born, and one Hades took of me holding Mallory while she was napping. Unlike Mal's, Mallory's locket has three pieces instead of two, so when you open it three pictures will be shown. I plan on reserving the center piece for a picture of all three of us when we're finally together in Auradon."

"I don't mean to be rude, but I really need to go," Ben persisted as he slung the other backpack strap over his other shoulder. "I don't want to be late for lunch and I need to be back in time for my date with Mal."

"You are incredible for doing everything possible for them," Aziz complimented with a small smile. "How long do you think you can keep this up; keeping your involvement with Mallory a secret from Mal?"

"For as long as I need to," Ben insisted before he smirked all too confidently. "Don't you already know? I am the _best_ secret keeper in Auradon."


	37. Chapter 37

Spending the hour with his little princess was worth all of the stress Ben endured to make sure no one would know of his visit or of the gift he had made for her. The king managed to perfectly time the drive to arrive just as Mallory finished the video-call with her mother. The birthday girl squealed with delight when Ben 'magically' appeared in the cave-home to surprise her. Mallory absolutely loved her new locket more than she loved her 'Cerbie' because it looked identical to the one her mother wore during the video-call.

"I have a piece of Mommy's heart!" Mallory had exclaimed when she excitedly clutched the heart-shaped locket to her chest, causing the two men to chuckle at her innocent nature.

After having lunch with his little girl—which ended with Mallory blowing out a candle on her special birthday cupcake—Ben hurried back to Auradon to plan a birthday picnic for the woman he wants to become his wife. In order to have enough time to get everything ready, the king asked Fairy Godmother if the bus would drop Mal off at the forest path that would lead to the Enchanted Lake, since they would already be going that way. Curious by unusual request, Mal walked through the woods with a gentle smile on her lips, wondering what her boyfriend could be doing.

No words could describe how genuinely touched Mal felt at seeing how much work Ben put into their last-minute date. A delicious arrangement of food awaited her, including the requested strawberries and hushpuppies. The gazebo pillars were wrapped in twinkle lights and purple balloons of multiple shades were scattered across the stone to make the scenery more romantic and festive.

Although Mal wasn't expecting any kind of gift, Ben surprised her with a brand-new paint set. Earlier that day, he heard Mal make a comment about using all of her old paints for Aziz's gift. Since she used up all of her supplies for her favorite hobby for a selfless reason, Ben thought new paints would be the perfect gift for her.

Just when the fairy believed the day couldn't get better, Ben 'magically' revealed a cupcake with a single lit candle. Before Mal could wonder where he possibly hid the dessert, the king instructed her to make a wish as he held up his phone to capture the moment. Closing her eyes, Mal only needed a moment before she knew what she wanted.

_I wish . . . Ben will love Mallory like a daughter . . . after I finally have the courage to tell him the truth._

* * *

A few weeks later with Mal becoming happier with every passing day—with only a trio knowing the true reason for the change—the fairy was on her way to the castle for her first Royal Council meeting. Admittedly, Mal was a bit nervous since Ben's parents just recently started to like her and was partially afraid that she would say something that would change their opinion of her again. Mal was so worried that she started fidgeting with her gold heart-shaped locket again, a habit she formed on the day she first received the thoughtful gift. It didn't help that she was the first to arrive for the occasion.

Mal's prompt appearance didn't seemed to bother nor surprise any of the staff. Lumiere continued folding the napkins on the plates to resemble fans, Cogsworth was finishing fluffing the cushions, and Mrs. Potts had arranged the dishes for the tea service. When the fairy asked if she could be of any help, Lumiere stubbornly insisted that everything was ready and everyone should be arriving momentarily.

At the top of the hour, Mal graciously took a seat at the designated table while Cogsworth held the door open for the Royal Family. One by one, King Beast, Queen Belle, King Ben, and Fairy Godmother strolled into the room at the appointed time. The four seemed to be in a deep conversation about an important matter.

"—I think it's a wonderful idea," Ben encouraged enthusiastically. "It would be even better if a friend could go with her, for her safety."

"I already have a plan in mind for that," Fairy Godmother reassured with a calming smile. "I'll discuss it during the meeting."

Satisfied with that answer, Ben took his place to Mal, greeting her with a simple kiss on the cheek. "What's going on?" Mal whispered to her boyfriend as the others settled in their seats. "What are you planning this time?"

"Something you will enjoy," Ben promised as he reached for a scone. "And maybe I can convince my folks to let your friends join you."

Waiting a few moments to allow the group to eat a bite or two, King Ben called the meeting to order. "Mal," he began slowly, "I'm sorry we started this discussion without you, but the Royal Council has been thinking. We thought it was about time that you did some diplomatic visits around all the kingdoms of Auradon."

"That sounds . . ." Mal trailed off as she tried to find the right word. "Exciting!"

"We thought you might think so," Fairy Godmother commented before she cleared her throat for her next words. "It's important that you see as much of the kingdom as you can since you are now Lady of the Court. To make you feel more comfortable about the travels, we are considering allowing your friends take turns visiting a kingdom with you. We are unsure about Carlos, but, for now, we thought Evie could go with you to Charmington and Jay to Agrabah, since they have family in those kingdoms."

"Or at least they will," Ben mumbled to his beloved, causing her to snicker childishly at his insinuations.

"We've made a list of kingdoms for your itinerary," Fairy Godmother continued as she pushed a piece of paper toward the other fairy. "The visits will be spaced apart, so you and your friends won't be distracted from your studies."

Mal's heartbeat quickened as she glanced at the list. It was true that she hasn't seen much of Auradon, only Auradon City and Agrabah. It would be so much fun to travel the world with her friends! Every region and kingdom were represented on the itinerary.

Except for one particular 'kingdom'.

Mal glanced up from the paper with a suspicious eyebrow raised. "Why is the Isle of the Lost not listed?"

King Beast shifted uncomfortably while Queen Belle and Fairy Godmother each took a sip of their tea. Belle's dishes were practically clattering in her hands from her uneasy attitude. King Beast coughed to clear the guilt in his throat.

"It's not on the list because we didn't want it on there," the retired king admitted almost bashfully. "We believe it would be too dangerous."

"But the Isle is Mal's home," Ben reminded forcefully. "The cotillion incident happened because she wasn't allowed to visit before. Do you really want something like that to happen _again_?"

"Let's discuss this at the next meeting," Fairy Godmother suggested before either king could release their full temper. "In a couple days, we'll dive further into the situation. That should give us enough time to make arguments for our separate positions."

* * *

The next day, the door to Ben's study burst open while he was reading a safety report regarding the still missing Uma. Genie, who kept an eye on all kingdoms, had the same news as always, which was no signs of the daughter of Ursula. However, Ben had a hunch that Uma was hiding out in a certain kingdom, but he couldn't act on it without proof of his premonition. Maybe _he _could ask his brother for Ben . . .

Anyways, Ben was only slightly surprised when Mal, Jay, Evie, Carlos strolled inside his school office as they talked excitedly to one another. Turns out, the Core Four wanted to start a VK program so more villain kids could be brought to Auradon Prep. Although applications had been passed out a few months prior, the only one to apply was Dizzy Tremaine, Drizella's daughter. The Core Four thought traveling to the island for at least three days could be beneficial to spread about the program.

All they had to do was get it approved by the rest of the council.

Luckily, the meeting of the Royal Council took place the very next evening. Unluckily, it took place just a few minutes before the Senior Scavenger Hunt—or Senior Quest, if you prefer the formal name—would take place. That meant Mal and Ben would start with a disadvantage if they don't finish their business as soon as they possibly could.

After exchanging a few pleasantries and going over the notes for the upcoming trade meeting, Ben steered the conversation back to the decision about Mal's official itinerary.

"Do we really need to discuss this right now?" King Beast yawned.

"Yes, we do," Ben argued forcefully. Although that was a very important matter, if they didn't wrap the meeting up soon, the couple would lose their chance at the trophy and the bragging rights.

"Sending Mal to the island isn't a terrible idea," Queen Belle commented gently. "We are merely concerned that it would be dangerous for her, considering what she confessed during cotillion."

Mal flinched at the reminder, mainly because they didn't know the whole truth to her tale. If she wanted the VK program to move forward, then the truth would have to be concealed for a while longer.

"We are afraid the abuser will come after her again," King Beast blatantly commented.

"_That _won't happen," Ben vowed as he clenched his fist under the table to keep something hidden and his temper in check. "Trust me, he won't go anywhere near Mal. I taught him a . . . _lesson_ the last time we were there."

Mal whipped her head toward Ben, her eyes going wide in surprise, but mostly horror. "You knew it was him?" she interrogated, somehow managing to keep calm despite the circumstances. "_How?_"

"It wasn't that hard," Ben claimed as he exhaled a breath of air he didn't know he was holding. "You had told me you threw your abuser over a counter at a hair salon. The next day after I was kidnapped, he had a fresh bruise on his wrist, was noticeably limping, and the first thing he did was grab me by neck, which was the one thing you told me not to do to you. He started taunting me, so I let my anger out on him. He deserved it."

Though she was some somewhat tense by Ben knowing who is, Mal couldn't help sighing contently. "You know, knowing that makes me love you even more," she commented softly.

"Even if the abuser won't do anything to you, we still have Uma to worry about," King Beast reminded sternly. "We still have no idea where she is, so she could pose a threat to your visit."

Ben leaned back in his seat as he pondered a thought he had before. Pausing for a moment to contemplate his own words, he wondered, "Do you think Hades would know where she is?"

Queen Belle visibly snarled her nose at hearing the villain's name, not noticing Mal's surprise expression. "Why would he know?"

"Because Hades is Uma's great-uncle," Mal intervened with the knowledgeable information. "Uma and I used to be best friends when we were children. Hades would occasionally chaperone us while Ursula was busy working at the restaurant. He considers me to be his daughter since he always wanted one, but never could. After Uma and I had our fight that ended our friendship, Hades took my side despite Uma being blood. While I was part of their family, Hades taught us girls the gods' main rule: _never _turn your back on family, no matter how tempting they make it."

"That rule could be the reason why no one has seen Uma in these last few months," Ben conspired, silently impressed that his beloved could meld the truth with a fib. "The god-side of her family could be hiding her for her safety, and Hades may know where."

"I could ask him," Mal volunteered with a careless shrug. "In fact, I would like to use my trip to the Isle to also help with the initiative of bringing more VKs over to Auradon."

"Mal and her friends are going to meet with Dr. Facilier of Dragon Hall and liaise with him to drum up interest in the program," Ben informed the adults. "Once we receive all the applications, we'll select four new candidates."

"If we are in agreement, I'll have the royal press issue a proclamation with the dates of Mal's visits." Fairy Godmother pulled out a feather pen and scribbled a few notes.

Ben gazed at the dates Fairy Godmother proposed, sighing when he noticed a certain conflict. "The visit to the Isle is the same weekend of the meeting to discuss the trade agreement for NAFFA—the National Association of Far Far Away," Ben commented as he adverted his attention to his queen. "That means I won't be able to go to the Isle with you like I wanted. I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Mal insisted as a wicked smile formed on her lips. "You can make it up to me when we win the Senior Quest. We have to move! The first teams are already at Cinderella's castle!"

As Mal and Ben practically bolted out of the room, Fairy Godmother turned to the king and queen. "Senior Quest? What's that?"

But King Beast and Queen Belle only smiled mysteriously.

Although Auradonians were admittedly terrible at keeping secrets, an exception was made for the yearly tradition, as Fairy Godmother is still clueless after twenty years.


	38. Chapter 38

**I had an epiphany and I'm afraid I'm too late.**

**Remember how I said I was going to take a break from college for a semester or so? I wanted to do so because of all the trouble I had concerning enrollment and advisors not doing their job correctly. I'm about to graduate with an associate degree, but I realized that I chose the wrong major for myself.**

**I want to be a high school English teacher instead! I love to read, love to write, and I enjoy school. I am just hoping that I didn't mess my chances up because of having not filed FAFSA or applied to specific college yet.**

**Wish me luck and enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

It was close to midnight when Carlos started to get anxious as he stood next to Jane at the edge of the tourney field near the goalpost, a plastic trophy between them. He checked the list he and Jane had put together for the Senior Quest, wondering how much longer it would take for the teams to arrive. They had spent months talking to all the respective parties, negotiating use of locations, and making sure everyone was in on the joke, while keeping things secret from the school administration.

"I think I hear something." Jane craned her neck as she suddenly perked up with excitement. "They're here!"

Mal and Ben practically burst out of their carriage as they ran full-force toward the finish line. The fairy held a fork while the king was trying his hardest to balance a plate of beignets in one hand and his backpack in the other. They hummed loudly to the tune of '_Be Our Guest_'.

At the same time, Evie and Doug raced to the goalpost from the other side. The Isle princess held a delicate rose while the dwarf's son carried a satchel of scavenger-hunt objects. They were humming just as loudly, though Evie occasionally burst into fits of giggles.

Although it appeared that first place would come down to the two teams, Jay and Aziz jumped out of the hedges. Aziz carried a basket with all the items on the list, apples and bananas piled high with a special 'guest' hiding inside. It may have appeared selfish of Jay have Aziz carry everything, but you'll understand the reasoning shortly.

Each team reached the goal line at the same moment. Mal noticed Evie bolting toward Ben, reminding her of the last item that needed to be fulfilled in front of the judges: kiss a prince. The girls hurriedly leaned in to kiss Ben on the cheek almost at the same time. Almost, that is, because Mal kissed him first. "We win!" she cheered. "Yay, us!"

"Nope," Carlos denied, shaking his head for added affect. "You lost."

"What?" they chorused. Mal did a double take while Evie looked offended.

Jane merely laughed as she motioned to the other team behind them. While the girls had raced toward Ben, Jay had grabbed his boyfriend by the back of his neck and smothered him in a kiss. Pulling away, Jay shouted, "DONE!"

"Ben is a king," Jane reminded pointedly. "The quest is to kiss a _prince_. Each of you had an advantage with this scavenger hunt. Jay's was Aziz being the prince."

The two teams groaned at the mere technicality while Carlos handed the trophy and gift certificate to the winning couple. "Guess you don't have to pay for your date," he joked.

Just as they received their rewards, the 'visitor' decided to pop his head out from the basket, causing the other contestants and judges to flinch in surprise. To be fair, none expected to see the albino tiger, Hakim, at that very moment.

"They didn't win!" Evie disputed. "They had to bring back one of Hakim's collars, _not_ Hakim!"

"But Hakim is _wearing_ a collar," Aziz argued strategically, moving the fur from the tiger's neck to prove his point. "Technically, we helped everyone out by bringing him with us. You wouldn't have gotten one easily if he was still in Agrabah."

"Why did you bring him?" Ben wondered, as it was a good question.

"Hakim wouldn't leave us alone when we showed up," Jay answered with a careless shrug. "We didn't want to get behind in the quest, so we brought him along for the ride, obviously with Jasmine's permission. In fact, Genie should be poofing Hakim back to Agrabah right about . . ."

As the Lost Boy trailed off, Hakim suddenly disappeared in a puff of gold smoke just as the rest of the teams arrived.

"Midnight eats from Snow White's Snack Shack?" Carlos suggested to fill the void left by the awkward exit, his stomach growling as loudly as a tiger.

A cheer went up from the crowd of seniors. They all piled back into their carriages, laughing and high-fiving as they went. Over the late-night meal, they relived the highlights of the quest, but Mal was distracted by other news to participate in the conversation. Once the crowd started to disperse from Snow White's trendy new restaurant, the fairy cleared her throat as she leaned in toward her friends.

"So, the Royal Council said we can go back to the Isle of the Lost next weekend to talk to the kids there." Mal paused to allow her friends to adjust to the information. "Sound good to everyone?"

"Absolutely!" Jay cheered excitedly. "I'm always up for an adventure."

Although she had been excited about the trip before, Evie hesitated. "I'm not sure," she admitted semi-bashfully. "Mal . . . should you even go?"

The fairy was quite taken back by the question, almost to the point to where it frustrated her. "What are you talking about?" Mal interrogated forcefully. "Of course, I should go! The Isle is my home!"

"But is it _safe_ for you?" Evie clarified calmly to prevent the fairy's anger from rising. "I know you don't like talking about this—especially when I try asking questions—but you were _sexual_ assaulted, remember? I know that's the reason you don't like people touching you, not your mysterious illness. At the mention of any sexual acts between a straight couple, you tense up like you are reliving the memory. You had an emotional breakdown during Family Day when your heard about Audrey and Chad—"

"How could I not!" Mal exclaimed defensively. "Audrey killed her _child_, an innocent baby that deserved to live, even if she was conceived out of her parents' stupidity. They should have been more than willing to step up to care for her, raise her, _love_ her. Instead they were so worried about their fucking reputation—"

"Mali," Jay chided, narrowing his eyes sternly so his point could get across. "Careful. You are venting again. You're going to get so worked up that you will do something you will regret. Know what I mean?"

Mal scowled at her friend for using that particular name. "_Don't _call me 'Mali'," she scolded bitterly. "You know only Hades can call me that."

"Hades?" Jane tilted her head curiously at hearing the villain's name. "Why would he? How are you associated with him?"

"He is Uma's great-uncle," Mal quickly informed before any of those who knew the truth could answer for her. "He used to watch us when we would play together. He treated me like a daughter and gave me the nickname 'Mali' because he couldn't stand that I was named after my mother. In fact . . ."

Mal adjusted her attention back to her Isle friends, who impressed with her silver tongue. "I need to see if Hades has heard anything about Uma," she notified. "There have been no signs of her recently and he may be able to help us."

"_If _he decides to help you," Jay corrected. "You know how stubborn he can be."

"I can sweet talk him if needed." Mal raised an eyebrow at her other two VK friends. "So? Are you in?"

"In," Carlos agreed with only slight hesitation. "Always."

"I guess." Evie sighed in slight annoyance. "But I would feel better if I had some reassurance of your safety."

"We're going to be together nearly the entire time," Mal reminded before she allowed a sinister smirk to form on her lips. "Besides, my abuser won't come anywhere near me. Hades already reserved his soul a spot in the Field of Punishment."


	39. Chapter 39

**First, I apologize for the author's note.**

**Second, I am sorry for the short chapter. I have been busy stressing about graduation, which is tomorrow! There was a short time that I believed that I wasn't going to graduate because I wasn't given any kind of update of what I needed to do. Finally called the college when a dean told me I should have been notified days before. It took THREE hours before I got a call back saying an email was 'bounced back'. It turns out I'm not the only one that had that happened to.**

**Yeah, I wouldn't recommend that college to anyone. They have fucked up so many times with me this past semester that it's quite ridiculous. I almost **_**couldn't **_**graduate because of an error they made, **_**and **_**I almost had to pay the graduation fee **_**TWICE**_**!**

**Enough with the ranting. I once again apologize for the chapter length and promise the next will be longer. I don't want to drag out the book events since there are only certain events I need. I'm going to guestimate three chapters will remain for book events before the story really gets interesting.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The next week on Wednesday evening, the Core Four were gathered at the front of Auradon Prep, packing their over-night luggage in the royal limousine. In the passing days, it was quite noticeable how eager and impatient Mal was for the day to finally arrive. Evie and Carlos believed the fairy was just overly happy about seeing her father again. Meanwhile, Jay and Aziz knew the real reason why Mal was overly excited.

Who wouldn't be at the thought of finally seeing their daughter after two years apart?

As Evie and the boys settled in their respective seats in the vehicle, Mal spared a moment to embrace her king lovingly. "Thank you for doing this," she mumbled while resting her head on his shoulder. "It will be a good for us to talk to the kids."

"There's no need to thank me," Ben insisted as he slowly ran his fingers through his queen's long hair. "I just hope you have a pleasant visit. Maybe we can make monthly visits to the Isle a tradition."

Mal raised her head to gaze at her beloved with a hopeful smile. "Maybe one day we can bring all the Isle children to Auradon."

"We will," Ben vowed as he fondly tucked a strand of the fairy's hair behind her ear. "You know . . . if there is anyone you want to bring to Auradon—anyone at _all _that you want to skip the application process—she, or he, will be more than welcomed. I would make sure everyone accepted her."

Pausing for just a brief moment, Mal shook her head in a stubborn manner. "There's no one that I know of," she fibbed. Kissing her boyfriend's nose adorably to get his mind on a different subject, Mal promised, "I'll see you Friday, my king."

Placing a soft, comforting kiss on her forehead, Ben cooed, "Until then, my queen."

* * *

One thing you could say about the Isle of the Lost was that it never changed. Mal wasn't sure if she loved or loathed it. When the Core Four arrived in the middle of the busy market, everything was exactly as they remembered it. This was where they had come from, the neglected island prison where villains were trapped for their crimes against the people of Auradon.

Mal couldn't help staring up at her mother's old balcony. Her entire childhood had been spent in those shabby rooms above the Bargain Castle. She used to sit on that balcony and look wistfully over at the mainland, wondering when her life would begin. Sometimes Jay came to join her. They would split a bag of cheese puffs, their fingers turning as orange as the sunset.

But _that _was before Mal had to forsake her childhood to raise her beautiful daughter as a single mother.

Before the fairy could overthink herself to a brain explosion, Evie lightly tugged Mal away from the decrepit building. "Come on," the princess urged softly. "Let's go to our hideout."

"The hideout?" Carlos repeated incredulously. "Isn't this an official royal visit? Don't we have any other place to stay?"

"There aren't any five-star castles on the Isle," Jay reminded with a scolding tone."

"Would you rather stay at your house?" Evie teased to ease the tense atmosphere that formed between them.

"Never," Carlos denied vehemently. "Lead the way."

"Actually. . ." Mal trailed off as she backed out of reach of her friends. "Dad asked if Jay and I would stay with him for the duration of the visit. It's been forever since I've seen him in person, and he wants to catch up as much as possible before I have to go back. Dad doesn't want people knowing where he lives, so Jay is the only one that can join me since he's been to the home before."

Evie hesitated at the information, uneased at the thought of them splitting up so soon. However, at least _someone _would be with the victim. . . "Fine," she reluctantly relented. "But meet us at the hideout in the morning so we can walk to Dragon Hall together. We'll finalize plans on the way."

"Thank you!" Mal cheered, practically bursting with excitement. "We'll see you tomorrow!"

* * *

When the citizens of the Isle of the Lost saw Mal and Jay racing each other through the streets, some wondered if there was something seriously wrong. The last time they were on the island several months ago, the king of Auradon had been kidnapped by pirates. There had to be some kind of important reason why they were in such a hurry.

None would have guessed it was to see a purple-haired toddler by the name of Mallory.

Once the duo noticed all the attention they were gaining, Mal darted in a dark alleyway with Jay following close behind her, quickly losing anybody that could have been following them. Since Mal has spent most of her childhood sneaking to her father's home undetected, the fairy knew every possible way to get to his cave. This appeared to be factual since Mal arrived at the home entrance in record time.

"Hello!" Mal shouted into the living quarters, trying her hardest to contain her panting. "I'm looking for my beautiful daughter! Is my baby girl home?"

Although the entire home appeared to be vacant—as there was nobody within sight—the best friends heard an incredibly loud gasp from a separate room of the cave. After a moment or so, the bedroom door practically _slammed _open, revealing a three-year-old purple haired girl with nearly inhuman bright blue eyes.

The little girl had the widest smile you could possibly imagine as she let out a squeal loud enough for a deaf man to hear. Running to the fairy as fast as her short legs could carry her with her arms outstretched, the child was lifted into the mother's arm as she latched her chubby arms around her neck. "Mommy!" she cheered happily. "I miss you!"

"Mallory," Mal greeted with a smile that could compete with her daughter. "I missed you too."

Though she was beyond grateful to finally be reunited with her greatest blessing, the mother's smile turned into a confused frown as she noticed a familiar piece of jewelry around her daughter's neck that looked identical to her own. "Lory," Mal cooed to keep her tone sweet in her daughter's presence. "Where did you get that locket?"

"Family member," Hades quickly intervened as he leaned against the bedroom doorway, having had attempted to place his grand-daughter to bed for the night before the interruption moments. "I told him about Jay making your locket and he decided to make one for Mallory for her birthday too."

Mal raised a suspicious eyebrow at the careful phrasing. " 'He'?" she repeated while adjusting her daughter to sit on her hip. "Who is this 'he'? Did 'he' give Lory her 'Cerbie' too?"

"Yes," Hades answered evadingly.

The fairy's eyebrow rose even more. "Dad, who is 'he'?"

"A family member," the god persisted in hopes that the subject would be dropped. "He's not close, but knows and cares about Mallory."

"So, it's one of my uncles," Mal assumed before rolling her eyes dramatically. "You could have just said that from the beginning. No need to be so mysterious about it."

"Sorry," Hades apologized blatantly as he rested his head against the wall. "You're just in time to put Lory to bed. We'll talk afterwards."

The fairy couldn't help scoffing at the suggestion. "We'll talk in the morning," Mal corrected, a smile forming happily as she insisted, "There's no way I'm letting my little girl go when I'm finally able to hold her again."


	40. Chapter 40

Sleeping with little Mallory in the safety of her arms had to be the best night rest Mal ever had. The comfortable Auradon Prep beds was nothing compared to having her baby girl nestled in her embrace. It was such a peaceful slumber that Jay had to wake the mother and daughter so they wouldn't be late for the meetup.

After changing into normal clothing and dressing her bundle of love, Mal carried Mallory on her hip as they walked into the living quarters of the cave. Sitting at the kitchen island, the fairy had her daughter seated on her lap so they could enjoy their breakfast together. It was quite a sight to see Mal assume the role of a mother again, making sure Mallory didn't make a mess on her dress made by Lady Tremaine.

It was almost as though Mal never left her daughter.

"Let's talk." Sliding his plate to the side, Hades gave his daughter a pointed look, as he was standing across from her while inside the kitchen. "Have you told your boyfriend about Mallory?"

"Not yet," Mal admitted, knowing that the question would be brought up. "Now just isn't a good time."

"Do you love Ben?"

Taken back by the question, the fairy replied, "Of course I do—"

"Then you need to tell him," Hades persisted with a soft glare to show his seriousness. "It's only a matter of time before someone slips up and he finds out. You need to be the first to tell him about Mallory and your other side of the family in general."

"Speaking of that side." Mal paused a moment to wipe sticky syrup from Mallory's cheek. "Have you heard anything about Uma from any of the gods?"

Sighing reluctantly at the subject change, Hades informed, "She's currently staying with her grandfather and his family in his kingdom."

"So with Poseidon?" Jay guessed, as he was not particularly familiar with the names of gods. "Why would she go to him?"

"Because our number one rule is to never turn your back on family." Hades took a quick sip of his spoiled coffee before further explaining, "Uma knew her grandfather wouldn't turn her away if she asked for help. My brother is probably one of the kindest gods in existence. He waited three months before he gave me the information unprovoked. My brother doesn't want anyone outside the family to know so no one would try to go after her. Uma . . . has been trying to get some information out of your uncle."

Allowing Mallory to feed her a bite of her pancakes, Mal raised a curious eyebrow as she chewed her food. "What kind of information?"

"The truth behind your 'sexual abuse', as you had called it during cotillion," Hades slowly revealed, allowing a moment of silence so his daughter could process the shocking information. "Although you two weren't close when it happened, Uma thought you would have come to her for consolation since you are family. Due to you not doing so, Uma believes something worse happened. She's been trying to get her grandfather to tell the truth."

"Has he?" Mal interrogated urgently.

"My brother hasn't budged," Hades reassured softly. "But you need to be careful, Mali. Uma has a short temper, just like anyone who has relations to the gods. She will get tired of his avoidance and will seek answers from you instead. That's why you need to tell Ben, or even your other friends, about what truly happened. You need to tell them about Mallory—"

"So I can play the role of a damsel in distress?" Mal snapped bitterly. "So they can start pitying me like I'm a victim? I am not a damsel and I am not a victim!"

Surprisingly, Mal smiled at her father despite being riled up moments prior. "I am a mother blessed with an angel of a daughter," she reminded softly. "Unless I know that they won't treat me as anything other than that, they won't have the privilege of knowing about Mallory."

* * *

Needless to say, the walk to Dragon Hall was pretty tense since Mal refused to say what exactly transpired with her visit to her father's. The fairy simply stated that she had a little argument with Hades because he refused to say where Uma was.

A little fib, but it would be easier to remember since it was a partial truth in some ways.

A few minutes before the usual school day would start, the Core Four arrived at their old stomping grounds of Dragon Hall. A trembling LeFou Deux awaited them at the entrance of the school. "Welcome back to Dragon Hall. Please follow me. Dr. Facilier is expecting you."

LeFou Deux led them to the headmaster's hidden office in the Athenaeum of Secrets. Dr. Facilier was seated at his faded velvet chair, but stood when they entered. He was tall and slender as ever—almost as thin as his mustache.

"Welcome back," he greeted with a terrifying grin as he shook their hands with his long, bony fingers. "Now, what brings you four here? Not looking to come back, I presume."

Once they were all seated, Mal cleared her throat to begin her little speech. "Auradon Prep is expanding its program to bring more students from the Isle of the Lost over to the mainland," she informed. "We were hoping you could distribute applications and encourage kids to sign up. We will be available after school to talk to students and answer any questions they may have."

Carlos opened his backpack and handed over a stack of papers to their old headmaster. Dr. Facilier picked up one of the documents. "How many kids from the Isle of the Lost is Auradon Prep accepting this time?"

"Four," Jay answered automatically. "Same as before."

"I see . . ." Dr. Facilier leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on his desk. "If I do this for you, what's my cut? What do I get in return for sending students for your program?"

"That's not how it works," Mal argued sharply. "They don't do kickbacks or bribes in Auradon."

"But you're back on the Isle of Lost now," Dr. Facilier reminded with a chuckle, sending shivers up their spines. "Surely, I should get some kind of reward for my generosity."

Mal narrowed her eyes just so Evie and Carlos wouldn't get suspicious. "What do you want?"

"I'm glad we're in agreement," Dr. Facilier mused with a smug smile. "However, I think it's best that you and I talk in private. You wouldn't want your friends to ruin our negotiations."

Sighing softly, the fairy adverted her attention to her friends. "Why don't you three put up posters around school?" Mal suggested gently. "I'll make the deal with the Voodoo Man."

"Careful," Evie teased, though there was an uneasiness to her tone. "You don't want to deal away your humanity and turn into a frog."

"Her father would have my soul if I did such a thing," Dr. Facilier remarked haughtily.

Slowly but surely the three friends made their way out of the headmaster's office. Once the door securely closed behind them, Mal slumped in her chair in relief. "Finally!" she exclaimed dramatically. "I didn't think I could keep on pretending to be rude to you, especially after everything you've done for me."

"I'll assume that you haven't told Carlos nor Evie about your daughter," Dr. Facilier deduced as he slouched in his seat as well to get a little more comfortable. "Is there anyone new that knows?"

"Jay's fiancé, Aziz," Mal informed slowly so she wouldn't stumble over her words. "For my birthday, Jay sent a device to the Isle so I can video-chat with Mallory and Dad whenever I wanted. He wanted to test the connection and used it as an opportunity to introduce his fiancé to Lory. Jay didn't want to start his marriage off with a secret."

"How much longer are you going to keep Mallory a secret?" Dr. Facilier wondered compassionately so he didn't distraught the single mother. "She is old enough to be in preschool now. I was worried about her education, so I went to your father's cave and tested her just to see what her level is. The results were . . . shocking."

"Really?" Mal leaned forward expectantly. "Was something wrong?"

"No," Dr. Facilier quickly reassured. "I'm not sure how your father was able to do it, but Mallory is at a second-grade reading level, which is _incredible _for someone her age, especially with her poor eye-sight. However, reading appears to be the only subject they've worked on. She can't write yet and is only somewhat knowledgeable of numbers."

"I didn't even know Dad started teaching her," Mal admitted. "What should I do? I don't want to hinder Mallory's learning, but I'm not ready to tell the world about her."

"I have a solution," Dr. Facilier bolstered, "which is the real reason why I wanted to speak with you in private."

Pushing a foot or so away from his desk, the headmaster pulled open a side drawer. Almost like magic, a small stack of learning books and bundles of worn out flash cards were placed in front of the fairy. "I thought these could help until you enroll her in school," Dr. Facilier claimed. "Your father can have her start the study books and you can use the flashcards during your video-chats. This way you are able to help while still in Auradon. Maybe you and Mallory can start writing to each other too."

"That is a fantastic idea!" Mal complimented as she graciously placed the study material in her backpack. "There is no way I can repay you for all of the kindness you showed us."

"There is one way," Dr. Facilier corrected almost bashfully. "The VK program. I'm sure you remember my daughter—"

"Done," Mal guaranteed with an assertive nod. "I promise, Celia will be one of the four chosen to live in Auradon."

* * *

After the fairy finished her conversation with the headmaster, she opted to pay a visit to one of her old teachers to express her gratitude. Not surprisingly, the conversation was nearly identical to the previous. Lady Tremaine gifted a new dress for Mallory while Mal vowed to have Dizzy chosen for the program as well, which was completely doable since the teenager was the first to apply. With Dizzy and Celia both chosen, neither one would be uncomfortable about moving to a new school as they were best friends.

Speaking of the brilliant hair stylist, Mal had promised to return for her expertise and was in dire need of an updated hairstyle—especially since her natural purple color was melding with the dyed lavender color.

Which brings us to this undesired confrontation.

"It's only a simple haircut," Mal reassured when bringing the idea up after the Core Four's failed recruitment meeting after school. "My hair looks pathetic and I am getting tired of it being long. I want my short hair again."

"You can do that in Auradon," Evie argued stubbornly. "We need to focus on advertising the VK program. We have less than twenty-four hours left on the Isle and we still have only one applicant."

"Two," Mal corrected to her friends' surprise. "Dr. Facilier asked to hear more about the program and took an application for Celia. If we want to drum more interest, we have to advertise through-out the island, not just Dragon Hall. Jay and Carlos can post flyers and applications at the major businesses while you and I get our hair done. Your black roots are showing, and Lady Tremaine says Dizzy has been dying to work on your hair again. Besides, you were the one that didn't want me to be alone on the Isle."

"It's not a bad idea," Jay spoke up to mediate the situation. "You two need a girl's day, especially since we have all been busy with the current school year."

Evie hesitated for a moment before shaking her head in denial. "I still don't think it's a good idea."

"Think of it this way," Carlos began to encourage the idea, "you get to tell Dizzy more about Auradon. She will be so eager that she'll tell everyone that enters the hair salon about the program. She'll be giving free endorsement for the program."

Contemplating for another moment, Evie sighed reluctantly. "Fine," she begrudgingly agreed. "I guess we'll have a girl's day at Curl Up and Dye."


	41. Chapter 41

**I sincerely apologize for taking so long to update.**

**Once I got to a certain part in this chapter, I got stumped. I knew what I wanted to happen next, but I didn't know how to write it to make it the way I wanted. I guess you could say I had writer's block? I used that time to 'complete' a few in-active stories by summarizing what could have happened.**

**Speaking of inactive stories, be on the look-out within a month for an update. There is one story I had planned on continuing, but never did because a certain event took place. I want to make it a mystery, but I also want to do a challenge.**

**If anyone can guess what the story I am referring to is, I will tell the first person the date it's being updated. If anyone can guess it within the next **_**hour **_**(60 minutes), I will attempt to update three times next week on the same day. That means we will be ending the book events and be quite far in the movie, if everything goes according to plan.**

_**If **_**the correct answer is not given within the allotted time, you will still get the three updates (not on the same day). **_**HOWEVER, **_**you will be left with a gut-clenching, on the edge of your seat, screaming for more cliffhanger for a **_**week**_**!**

**FURTHER-MORE:**** I want all guesses to be done through PM. This way it still remains a mystery to those that wish for it to be a surprise. If the winner chooses, I will announce to everyone the date the story is being updated. Be warned: if a guess is done through a review—correct or incorrect—the 'punishment' will be inflicted. Results will be announced next chapter.**

**Now, without any further interruption . . .**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Although she was reluctant to do so, Mal had to say 'good-bye' to her daughter the next morning, as she wouldn't be able to come back after going to Dragon Hall. However, the fairy promised to video call Mallory every morning, afternoon, and night so she could help with her ever-growing education.

Two weeks before the very last day of school was the annual Senior Dinner, hosted by the royal family in honor of the graduating class. King Beast, Queen Belle, and Fairy Godmother arrived, and everyone took their seats. Mrs. Potts had outdone herself: there was hearty beef ragout, a bubbling and airy cheese souffle, luscious and crispy roast chickens, mashed potatoes that had little pools of melted butter. It was the most decadent and delicious meal they ever had.

Mal was glad that Carlos and Jane had joined them, even though they were juniors. Since Jane had planned the entire thing, down to the six-course dessert menu, it was only fair that they were able to attend. The young couple found themselves seated with the other Core Four and their respective partners.

As the dinner began, the seniors talked in their separate friend groups, discussing what they planned on doing after they graduate.

"Aziz and I are going to elope once summer starts," Jay casually announced with a careless shrug. "It would give us a couple more years to plan the wedding ceremony and find a surrogate mother while I attend Agrabah University."

"A surrogate mother?" Evie repeated in surprise, though she wasn't the only one. "You mean, you want to have a child already? Don't you think you're too young to start a family or even marry?"

"My mother married my father at sixteen and had me at twenty," Aziz reminded coldly. "Your step-sister married her husband at _fourteen_, remember? We are getting married later than most typical couples in Auradon would. Besides, it's going to take time to find a surrogate mother since we're not a straight couple, I'm to be Sultan, and Jay's significantly recognized as a villain. We probably won't find anyone for a few months, or even years."

"Sounds like a wonderful plan," Ben encouraged positively. "What are you hoping? A boy or girl?"

"I want a boy," Aziz admitted without a second thought. "But Jay is hoping for a girl."

Mal perked up at hearing the information. "Really?" She leaned forward with interest, as her gay best-friend was sitting across from her. "Why a girl?"

"I thought a girl would be easier to raise, considering . . ." Jay trailed off, though the fairy absentmindedly nodded in silent understanding. "Anyways, Aziz and I made a deal. If we have a boy, Aziz will name him. But if we have a girl, I get to name her."

"We won't reveal our chosen names yet," Aziz claimed before the question could be asked. "We don't want to jinx ourselves."

"I call dibs on being the god-mother when you do have a child," Mal stubbornly insisted.

"Obviously," Jay agreed with a sarcastic eye-roll. "Do you really think we would choose anyone else? You are the best option."

Once the meals were handed out to every guests, servers went around the tables to offer glasses of wine to whoever wanted it. Although there wasn't an established drinking age in Auradon, the adults usually refrained from allowing teenagers from having any type of alcohol. However, since this was a special occasion, King Beast and Queen Belle thought an exception could be made as everyone was celebrating the upcoming graduation.

Most of the children graciously accepted the usually forbidden drink. Carlos and Jane opted not to take their drinks, wanting to act at least somewhat responsible in front of the Fairy Godmother. Aziz and Jay received theirs, but never took a sip for certain reasons. Meanwhile, Ben was completely skipped over, the castle servants already knowing the king's negative opinion about alcohol in any shape or form. As for a certain fairy . . .

"Come on, Mal!" a heavily intoxicated Chad antagonized, holding a half-empty bottle of wine that he managed to swipe. "Don't be such a prude! It's just one drink!"

"And you just haven't learned your lesson," Mal retorted, snarling in disgust at the prince's drunk demeanor. "The last time you were this drunk, you went behind your friend's back and conceived a child with his girlfriend."

"But that was so long ago!" Chad tried to argue as he came close to Mal's personal space. "It's different now! Just have one sip."

"My girlfriend told you 'no'," Ben clarified with a stern glare, clenching his hand into a fist to control his temper. "Leave her alone before she teaches you another lesson like she did at Family Day two years ago."

"You are such a killjoy," Chad insulted with an arrogant roll of his eyes. "You're acting like I'm harassing her. All I want is for her to have a drink so she will stop acting like a stuck-up bitc—"

"ENOUGH!"

Dramatically rising from her seat—catching the attention of all the dinner guests—Mal roughly grabbed the wine bottle from the drunk teenager. Glaring daggers at the brainless, Mal insisted, "I told you NO!"

At her shout, the glass container shattered in the fairy's hand from gripping it too hard. The audience gasped as their 'precious' wine splattered the floor, only a handful noticing it splashed onto the fairy's outfit too. Anger billowing inside at her ruined dress and the entire situation, Mal slammed the broken shards in her hands toward the floor before storming out of the dining room.

Sighing softly, Ben calmly stood as he reassured his friends, "I'll check on her."

* * *

Luckily, the king didn't need to search long for his beloved.

After thinking logically of where she could have gone, Ben found his Mal in the women's 'powder room' within a couple minutes. From the looks of her appearance, Mal tried saving her soiled dress before essentially giving up, focusing her attention on her wounded hand. When the wine bottle broke, some shards cut her hand while other embedded into her skin. Mal had just pulled out the last shard with tweezers from a first-aid kit when Ben walked in, rinsing her hand under the sink's running water.

Silently, Ben cautiously approached his girlfriend, noticing the subtle flinch that occurred.

"I'm an idiot," Mal glumly disrespected herself, shaking her head at her stupidity. "I let myself get worked up over something so stupid. I should have poured it over his head instead of letting myself get injured in such a careless way."

"_Chad _is the idiot," Ben corrected gently as he slowly walked forward. "He should have listened the first time. Although, it would have been way more entertaining to see you humiliate him. But what's done is done, and you let should let me help before your hand gets infected."

Reluctantly complying, Mal kept her injured hand out-stretched, allowing Ben to take over the medical treatment. Pouring disinfectant liquid over the cuts and scrapes, the king waited for the open-wounds to bubble a few moments before rinsing the hand under the running water again. Tenderly drying his beloved's hand with a clean hand-towel, Ben carefully wrapped the hand in clean bandages to prevent any dirt or grim to get into the scratches.

"I reacted the way I did because of the sexual abuse," Mal openly revealed as the king continued the task, though he hesitated a brief second from hearing the confession. "It happened because the guy pressured me to drink. I was so intoxicated that I lost most of my senses and wasn't able to fight back. After that incident, I vowed I would never drink again. Maybe I should have said that earlier, but for some reason I . . ."

"I get it," Ben reassured kindly. "What happened to you was traumatic. Nobody should have to go through what you did. _You _shouldn't let these feelings fester up inside. I hate seeing your outbursts and I hate seeing you shut down on me. Please, when or if the negative emotions come back, _talk _to me. I'll help you through it, okay?"

Mal nodded glumly as she adverted her gaze downward, mentally scolding herself for being so weak. After he finished wrapping her hand, Ben gently grabbed his beloved's chin and raised her head upwards so their eyes could meet.

"Cheer up," Ben encouraged with a dashing smile. "There's only two more weeks until we graduate. Then it is less than a month until 'VK Day', where the new recruits are brought to Auradon. You are going to be so happy on that day that you forget this incident happened. I promise."

Mal attempted a weary smile. "Like I've been telling Jay, don't make promises you can't keep."

Ben smirked at the challenge. "And _you _shouldn't doubt my determination to keep my promises."


	42. Chapter 42

**Results are in!**

**No one guessed correctly, so three chapters won't be added in one day. One person did guess in the review like I didn't want, but they apologized through PM and said they didn't know how to remove that review. Since they were apologetic, I won't make you wait a week to find out what happens after the cliffhanger two chapters from now.**

**BUT:**** you will still have to wait a certain amount of time. I won't say how long just to keep you eagerly waiting for the next chapter. Hopefully, I'm not hyping this up and it turns out to be a flop. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Two weeks later, it was finally the day every senior at Auradon Prep has been waiting for: graduation day. Typically, seniors would spend the morning taking pictures with their friends in gowns and caps around campus to commemorate their special day before heading to the graduation the same afternoon.

However, there was one senior that wanted to spend the first part of his day with his beautiful little girl.

Truthfully, Ben thought it would be the perfect opportunity to show Mallory the engagement ring he designed and created for her mother. The little girl was completely transfixed on the diamond wrapped by the dragon. She actually took the ring into her own tiny hands, making Ben wonder how difficult it will be to take it away from her.

"So," Hades abruptly began as leaned against the kitchen island, watching his future son-in-law tend to his grand-daughter on the couch. "Mali still hasn't told you anything about Mallory?"

"No, but she's starting to open up now," Ben claimed to appease the god's irritated attitude, though maintaining his attention on the little girl in his lap. "There was an incident a couple weeks ago. Mal told me about _him _pressuring her to drink, dulling her senses and making her unable to fight back. She still hasn't said it was him."

"But you still can't say his name without festering in rage," Hades mused with a slight disbelieving shake of his head. "That is progress, but not enough. She needs to tell you about Lory before you propose, so she doesn't think the next step in your relationship is starting with a lie."

"If she doesn't tell before I propose, then I'll tell her I know," Ben decided with a determined nod. "I will probably wait a day or so, just in case she finally chooses to tell."

"Let me know if she doesn't before the big day," Hades requested. "I am tired of all the secrets, and so is Mallory. I will no longer hesitate to take drastic measures."

* * *

A few hours later is was nearly time for the graduation. Parents, grandparents, friends, and sidekicks had arrived, creating quite the traffic jam at the Auradon Prep entrance drive-way. Carlos and Jane patiently waited at the entrance, greeting everyone kindly as they passed out the event programs.

Soon enough, the seniors walked into the auditorium with Ben leading the way in his graduation cap and gown. The three of the remaining Core Four followed the king with the rest of their fellow seniors trailing behind them.

With his first task completed, Carlos approached his friends with a camera in hand. "Say hi to the Isle!"

"The Isle?" Mal snarled her nose in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Surprise!" Jane exclaimed as she held up a microphone. "Everyone on the Isle is going to watch you guys graduate!"

"To inspire every villain kid! We wanted them to watch so they know they can grow up to do amazing things one day," Carlos further explained.

Touched at the kind gesture, Mal waved politely to the camera. "Hi, everyone! Be sure to apply to Auradon Prep! We would love to . . ."

The fairy trailed off; her attention being diverted toward an exaggerated scene just a few feet away.

In the corner of the auditorium, Fairy Godmother was having a private conversation with Audrey, her parents, and her grandmother. Audrey appeared to be quite irate at the moment while Queen Aurora and King Philip were flabbergasted by the news. Meanwhile, Queen Leah slowly backed away, determining that she didn't need to intervene in the banter.

As she turned away from her family members, Queen Leah noticed a little fairy watching from afar along with her friends. Smiling softly, the retired royal casually strolled to the congregated teenagers. "Well, well, well," Queen Leah greeted calmly. "What are you children doing, spying on an old woman? Shouldn't you be preparing yourself for when you receive your diploma?"

"_You _are not old," Mal stubbornly claimed before gesturing toward the scene behind the woman with her head. "And I could ask the same regarding Audrey. What's going on with her?"

Queen Leah sighed disappointedly. "I'm afraid she won't be graduating today," she revealed, much to the surprise of the teenagers. "Fairy Godmother and a few teachers discovered that Audrey had cheated on a majority of her finals this pass semester. She will be taking a few summer classes to make up for it."

Mal's demeanor shifted slightly. Her sadness showed as she assumed, "Then I guess you will be leaving, since you have no reason to watch the graduation anymore."

"Hold on, young lady," Queen Leah scolded lightly. "_You _are still graduating, along with your friends. As far as I'm concerned, that is a good reason to stay. I plan on attending the graduation of all the Isle children that transfer to Auradon Prep. I know it's not much—"

"It's plenty," Ben reassured the 'elder' woman. "I know they will be grateful to have other royalty at their graduation. It may give them more of a reason to apply."

"If there's anything I can do to help with the VK Program, let me know," Queen Leah insisted kindly. "I will gladly do whatever is needed to show my support, despite the obvious disapproval of my family members."

Mal smiled eagerly at the generous proposal. "You don't know how much it means just to hear you say that."

* * *

Not longer after the conversation with the retired queen, it was finally time for the main event. One by one, Fairy Godmother would call up each to student to hand the diplomas. King Beat shook the hands of each graduate while Queen Belle gifted a gold-embossed Auradon Prep pin.

Ben was the first to receive his diploma, which was expected since he was both the King of Auradon and the Class King. His mother took a moment to reward her son with a proud kiss on the cheek, electing an 'awe' from the audience.

Doug didn't create a big spectacle when it was his turn. He merely waved his diploma in the air, whistling as he returned to his seat, next to his girlfriend.

Evie had the honor of technically being the first of the Isle children to receive their diploma, as her name was called before her friends. Nonetheless, her friends happily cheered for her success. In less than a month, Evie would be hosting the new VK transfers for the summer at her new starter-castle, which she purchased just the week prior. Once the new school-year starts, Evie will be more focused on expanding her fashion 'empire'.

With Aziz receiving his diploma, there was a . . . conflict.

As some are aware, King Beast isn't particularly fond of Aziz due to the prince's sexuality. When the prince was called to receive his diploma, an uneasy tension in the large room grew with every step Aziz took. Sensing this, Hakim—the loyal albino tiger that had become a stow-away a few months prior—followed his master's child, eventually falling in similar stride next to the prince.

Once he climbed the stairs, Aziz graciously accepted his diploma from the Fairy Godmother. His happy attitude changed when he adverted his attention to the retired king. King Beast was openly glaring at the prince, but still attempted to raise his arm for a proper handshake.

_Attempted._

Before King Beast could bring his arm upward, Hakim wormed his way between the two men, growling viciously at the one he believed was the enemy. While some audience members feared for the king's life, Aziz absentmindedly stroked the tiger's forehead as he maintained eye-contact with the retired king. "Good job, Hakim," the prince praised. "You already know to hate this _beast_."

"Contain that animal or I will," King Beast warned, a snarl just on the edge of his lips. "I don't know why your parents thought it was a good idea to get _another_ tiger. The first one was a bad enough."

"Hakim is a gift to my family from my fiancé after Rajah passed. _Rajah_ was also a gift to my mother when her mother had passed," Aziz calmly informed, though he was internally fuming at the king's blatant disrespect. "So, _talhas teeze_."

A few people, those who understood what he said, gasped at the prince's words. King Beast scrunched his nose in confusion as the prince rudely brushed pass him. Aziz's parents gawked at him while Jay was completely shocked that his fiancé had the guts to say something so crude.

"Jay," Mal chided quietly as other audience members gossiped among themselves. "What did Aziz say?"

"The Arabic equivalent to 'kiss my ass', though it translates to '_lick _my ass'," Jay muttered so only his friends in close proximity could hear. "It's a good thing none of the kids or their parents on the Isle can understand him. We definitely would have lost a few applicants because of his foul mouth."

Eventually, a now visibly livid Aziz returned to his seat—Hakim having walked back to his masters—looking ready to blow up on the next person that spoke. In a small, hopeful attempt to cheer up his grumpy fiancé, Jay gave him a sweet kiss before quickly going on stage to grab his diploma. Jay didn't bother acknowledging King Beast, instead giving a brief 'thank you' to Queen Belle for the pin before hurrying off the stage to resume his seat. Though he was still angry, Aziz kissed his beloved's cheek to congratulate him on his accomplishment.

Finally, it was time for the last 'VK' of the class to receive her diploma.

Admittedly, Mal couldn't have been any more nervous. She was already nervous about the Auradonians watching her, but now the Isle was too. Remembering that saddened her for one main reason: her daughter couldn't be there to watch in person. It was such an important milestone in Mal's life and Mallory couldn't spend it with her.

So, as Mal stared into the camera transmitting a live feed to the Isle of the Lost, her resolve formed—

To tell Ben on VK Day and bring her daughter home.


	43. Chapter 43

Nearly one month later, it was finally the day the new transfer students from the Isle would be coming to Auradon; more popularly known as 'VK Day'.

For the past few weeks, Mal's been motivating herself for when she plans on telling Ben the truth about everything: from the sexual assault—she still can't bring herself to say the 'r' word—to the birth of her daughter. Admittedly, the fairy couldn't help being scared at the thought of finally introducing her boyfriend to Lory after nearly three years of being in Auradon—since Mallory would be turning four once the summer ended. Mal feared telling the truth would make Ben's 'beast' come out.

After telling the now happily married gay couple, Jay and Aziz have tried their hardest to reassure the fairy that such a thing wouldn't happen. For some reason, Aziz has been encouraging Mal than his husband has about the whole situation. Yes, Ben definitely deserves to know, but the Auradon thief's persistent made Mal slightly suspicious, though it was taken over by her nervousness.

Although she should have, Mal neglected to tell her father about her plans. She didn't want to get his or Mallory's hopes up just in case she changed her mind at the last second. This would be a nice surprise for the both of them if everything went as planned.

While lost in thought as she gazed at the horizon from the back balcony—dressed in a dragon-patterned dress with matching wing epaulets—a pair of strong arms surrounded her waist as Mal was tightly hugged from behind and lifted off the ground.

"Ben!" Mal squealed happily at the accuser. "Put me down!"

Before, Ben wouldn't have been able to do such a thing when their first started dating due to her personal space issue. After the king's many attempts to ease into the touchy-feeling part of their relationship, Ben could finally surprise her with intimate touches. Most never really worked since he was the only one that could hold her in such a way.

Placing her back on the ground, Ben lovingly kissed her cheek in greeted. Smiling at his beloved, he softly noted, "You were lost in thought again. Thinking about Uma?"

Sighing at her cousin's name, Mal shook her head in denial. "I have something else on my mind," she admitted nearly reluctantly.

Ben cocked his head slightly in curiosity. "Anything you want to share with me?"

Hesitating for a brief second, the fairy instinctively shook her head. "Not yet," Mal claimed. "I'm still working up the courage to tell you . . . and Evie and Carlos. I'll be able to tell you on the way to the Isle."

"Speaking of the Isle, we don't want to keep the kids waiting," Ben reminded as his comforting smile grew. "It's VK Day after all. We don't want to be late."

* * *

Pastel-clad students, teachers, and parents gathered eagerly on Auradon Prep's front lawn to greet the school's newest Isle additions. Throngs of curious Auradonians had flocked to the event and were milling about the well-groomed gardens, converging under the King Beast statue and clustering on the school steps.

The Auradon Knights marching band, wearing snappy blue-and-gold uniforms, blasted out a toe-tapping number as the school's cheer squad shook their pom-pos and rallied the growing crowd. King Ben's parents, King Beast and Belle, mingled among the crowd, smiling at all the citizens waving homemade WELCOME ALL posters, flying painted REUNITE banners, and holding cheery flower bouquets.

Queen Leah and Audrey stood on the sideline near a row of meticulously trimmed hedges. Audrey's mouth formed a serious line, and her brown eyes were unsmiling. She pulled at her long ash-brown hair streaked with pink and blue and straightened her pink leather ensemble with a disgruntle frown.

A giant video monitor was set up atop the school's battlements to carry a real-time feed of the Isle's barrier opening. WELCOME TO OUR NEW VKS blazed across its screen. A formal royal guard detail stood in their pressed gold uniforms around the lawn. The king's stretch limo, now painted purple in Mal's honor, sat parked and ready to go in the circular driveway. In a few minutes it would be crossing the barrier to pick up the four new VKs—

_After _an important announcement by King Ben.

When Mal arrived with her beloved next to her, she was surprised by the bustling, celebratory scene. The newest VKs would be greeted with more excitement and fanfare than she and her friends had when they'd first arrived.

Ben stepped onto the podium to speak to the restless crowd. Within half a second, Mal caught sight of a retired queen standing in the audience. The fairy tried walking off the stage to speak with her, but Fairy Godmother blocked her path.

"Stay," the headmistress ordered sternly. "You're needed here."

"Really?" Mal questioned rhetorically as she backed up a couple feet. "But Queen Leah—"

"Will speak with you in a few minutes," Fairy Godmother reassured calmly. "Now, _stay_."

Even more confused by the request, Mal went along with it for now, joining Ben's side on the stage. The two waved at the jubilant crowd, who were over-excited for a special reason.

"Bibbidi-bobbidi." Fairy Godmother began as she tested the microphone. "Can everybody hear me?"

The crowd responded with mighty shouts and cheers. Satisfied with the answer, Fairy Godmother offered the golden mic to the King of Auradon.

"Thank you, Fairy Godmother," Ben acknowledged as he adverted his attention to the massive crowd. "And thank you all so much for coming out to help celebrate VK Day. Our new arrivals will be here soon."

Clearly displeased by the whole situation, Audrey mumbled bitterly under her breath, "Not like we had much of a choice."

"Behave yourself," Queen Leah scolded her grand-daughter. "Today is a special day. The last thing anyone needs is you ruining it with your poor, selfish attitude."

Adverting his gaze from his subjects, Ben focused on his beloved. "Mal," he began with a nervous smile, "this is the spot where we met for the first time not so long ago; where I could finally gaze upon your beauty in person. Even to this day, nearly three years into our relationship, I find myself losing my breath every time I'm in the presence of your beauty."

The audience cooed and awed at the compliment. Mal's cheek turned a light shade pink, causing the king to smile at how easy he can make her feel happy and cheerful—something that wasn't so easy when they first met.

"I feel like I've known you my whole life," Ben continued as his smile grew even more. "Did I mention . . . I'm in love with you?"

As if on cue, Doug stepped forward, strumming on his guitar. Mal laughed in embarrassment as her beloved began to serenade her.

"_I met this girl who rocked my world, like it's never been rocked," _Ben began as he twirled Mal around on the stage like they were dancing a slow waltz. "_And now I'm living just for her. And I won't ever stop. I never thought it could happen to a guy like me."_ Once they came back to their starting position, Mal gazed at the crowd with a happy smile. "_But now look at what you've done. You got me . . ._"

Hearing her boyfriend trail off in his 'declaration of love', Mal turned around to see Ben kneeling before her. "_. . .down on my knee," _he finished.

Mal gasped, bringing her shaking hands to cover her mouth in surprise. He couldn't be . . .!

Passing the gold microphone to the side, Ben revealed a blue box from his pocket. "I love you, Mal," he confessed as he stared into her beautiful green eyes. "I want to take the next step in our relationship, by building a loving family with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, watching our dau—child grow to be as perfect as you."

Pulling back the lid to reveal a special one-of-a-kind ring with a purple stone encased in a gold dragon design. "Will you marry me?" Ben pleaded, his voice displaying his over-whelming emotions. "Will you be my queen?"

Before Mal had the chance to answer, Audrey rudely shouted, "No!"

Although Queen Leah scowled at her grand-daughter for the rude interruption, Mal squealed all too happily, _"Yes!_"

The enormous audience excitedly cheered as Ben slipped the ring on Mal's finger. Once he stood to embrace her, the couple kissed as if they were the only two people in the world. Dozens of onlookers flipped DIY welcome signs to reveal sweet congratulatory messages.

Surrounded by the celebration of love, Audrey felt absolutely devastated at the raw heartache from losing the crown. Her goal—and childhood dream—to become 'Queen of Auradon' will _never _be fulfilled.

But that was the _least _of the princess's concern.

"Audrey!" Queen Leah chided in a harsh whisper, causing the princess to flinch at being spoken in such a way. "How dare you do such a thing? You were raised better than that!"

"The crown was supposed to be mine," Audrey bitterly claimed as she glared at the newly engaged couple. "That proposal was supposed to be mine too, but _that _VK stole it from me. She ruined my chances of being queen."

"You lost your chance the moment you decided to cheat on King Ben," Queen Leah reminded unsympathetically. "And don't get me started on that again. I am still furious that you decided to abort your child, _my _great-grandchild. It is about time that you grow up and _step up _for what had done."

* * *

"I can't believe it!" Mal squealed as she hurried down the stage steps to hug her gay best friend. "Did you know?"

"For a few months," Jay admitted as he gladly accepted the affectionate hug. "Ben told Aziz at the beginning of senior year and he told me. That may have been the reason we decided to marry during the summer. We didn't want to draw attention away from your engagement."

"Speaking of your husband," Mal began teasingly as she pulled away from the embrace, "have you heard anything from him about finding a surrogate mother in Agrabah?"

"Not yet," Jay revealed with a hopeful sigh. "I'm hoping he's waiting until he's back for Jane's birthday party to tell the good news. Or he could surprise us with it during your engagement party next week."

Mal laughed gleefully at the information. "Then it's a really good thing I said yes!" she joked as her smile refused to leave her delicate face. "Now you won't be the only one in our friend group to be married."

After being congratulated by her friends on her engagement—Evie commenting on the thousands of sketches she's already made for the wedding dress and Carlos giving a few nicknames to match her soon-to-be royal status—Mal believed that nothing could go wrong.

But the Fates just love to prove otherwise.

Though her smile was bright as it could possibly be, an unnecessarily rough tug forced the fairy to twirl around. The happy smile faded into a worried frown at coming face to face with someone she knew would ruin the festivities.

"Congratulations," Audrey greeted with feign sincerity as she dropped the fairy's hand. "You won him fair and square."

After a moment of thought, Audrey cocked her head arrogantly. "Oh, wait, you didn't," she sneered. "You wanted to steal Fairy Godmother's wand, so you used a love potion on Ben to get closer to it. At least, that's what the rumors say. What a touching story for your kids."

Mal visibly flinched at the rude comment. When the fairy's eyes widened in worry, the princess narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You're hiding something," Audrey determined, stalking forward menacingly. "And I'm going to find out what it is."

"I have nothing to hide," Mal fibbed unconvincingly as she faked a smile. "But I do have some kids on the Isle waiting for me. So, if you'll excuse me . . ."

As the fairy turned her back to her, Audrey sharpened her glare. Mal was definitely keeping something valuable a secret.

Maybe valuable enough to use for revenge.


	44. Chapter 44

**This chapter is shorter because my aunt and cousin are visiting for a week from Texas. Next chapter will be the one that has you on the edge of your seat with anticipation. And hopefully I am not hyping it up too much.**

**This story still has a few chapters to go, but keep an eye out for a new poll on my profile in the next couple days. As usual, I do a vote to see what story I should work on next, which is how this story started. There won't be many options, and most will be to continue stories I never finished. Now that **_**that **_**is taken care of—**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

About an hour later, the villagers of the Isle of the Lost stared in awe at the purple limousine parked next to Lady Tremaine's Curl Up and Dye. The parents, guardians, and friends were all saying farewell to the four new transfer students before they would start a new adventure in Auradon. Each of the Core Four volunteered to 'mentor' the new students—Jay and Carlos had Squeaky and Squirmy, Evie gladly chose Dizzy, and Mal had the 'pleasure' of dealing with the mischievous Celia.

Once everyone found themselves a seat, Jay drove the fancy limousine through the narrow streets while the younger generation of VKs buzzes with anticipation of seeing new, unfamiliar land. While the children were distracted with all gadgets, gizmos, and delectable treats, Ben took the opportunity to nudge a distracted fairy's arm.

"You said you wanted to tell me something," Ben reminded in a soft, quiet tone so the others couldn't hear. "Did you forget?"

Flinching at the reminder, Mal shook her head in denial. "I didn't forget," she claimed with a reluctant tone as quiet as her fiancé's. "I had a conversation with someone that made me lose my courage to tell you. I'm sorry . ."

"Don't be," Ben encouraged kindly as he took her hand in his to comfort her. "Tell me when you're ready, though I do hope it will be before our engagement party."

"It will," Mal promised with a semi-convincing nod. "I just need a couple more days to figure out how to tell you and how to apologize for not telling sooner."

"That last part won't be necessary," Ben reassured with a certain amount of stubbornness. "And if you're worried about my reaction, don't be. I can handle whatever 'bad news' you tell me without my 'Beast' coming out. I promise."

Mal offered a wry smile. "What have I said about making promises you can't keep?"

"And what have _I_ said about doubting my determination to keep my promises?" Ben teased before placing a loving kiss on his beloved's temple. "Besides, _he _hasn't tried to make an appearance for several months. I think I have it under control."

"Don't jinx yourself," Mal warned with slight seriousness in her tone. "The last thing anyone needs is you losing your temper when Jane's birthday party _and _our engagement party are coming up."

A few minutes later, the limousine pulled into the Bridge Plaza of the Isle of the Lost when Jay suddenly slowed down to a halt. The group was about to question his action, when they all caught sight of the man standing in front of the broken bridge in protest.

"Hades?" Carlos deduced as he squinted his eyes at the rugged scoundrel to get a better look. "What is he doing? Is he trying to escape?"

"I don't think so," Jay denied, logically explaining, "If he wanted to escape, Hades would have waited until after we opened the barrier to jump through. I think he's—"

"Mali!" Hades unknowingly interrupted as he crossed his arms over his chest to show his aggravation. "Get your ass out here before I lose my temper and blow up the limo!"

Evie whipped her head toward Mal with wide, worried eyes. "Can he really do that?"

"Can he? Yes. Will he? No," Mal reassured, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "He wouldn't hurt us. He's just trying to cause a scene, so I'll do what he says without complaint. I'll see what he wants, and we'll be on our way."

Calmly stepping out of the vehicle, Mal approached the irritated immortal with a raised eyebrow. "Hades," she greeted carefully, since the Auradon people still don't know of their father-daughter relationship. "Is there something you need?"

"I saw the proposal on the Auradon News Network," Hades noted as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion at his daughter. "Does that mean you told him?"

Hesitating for a brief second, Mal reluctantly admitted, "I haven't yet. I really was going to, but—"

"Three days."

The fairy tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean 'three days'?"

"That's how long you have to tell him the truth," Hades warned, maintaining his cold, abrasive attitude to keep himself from caving at the sight of his daughter's wounded expression. "If you don't, I will tell him _and _everyone in Auradon."

Mal dramatically gasped at the proclamation. Her worried eyes widened as her jaw slackened in surprise. "You wouldn't!"

"You want to bet, baby girl?" Hades retorted, his glare sharpening to display his seriousness. "You have been in Auradon for nearly three years and haven't said word about it to him. Tell him before you get too far into this next step in your relationship. _Don't _make me be the one to spill your secret."

* * *

Back at Auradon Prep, the crowd of gathered students, teachers, and spectators had their eyes glued to the 'terrifying' sight on the large jumbo screen, which transmitted a live-feed of what was happening on the Isle of the Lost. A majority were scared something would happen to the group due to Hades's threat—though none realized just how empty it was. A handful wondered what secret the god spoke about, but someone speculated that he was merely provoking the fairy to get a rise out of her. There was no _way _Mal could keep a secret in Auradon, especially for three years.

Unlike everyone else, Audrey wasn't convinced by the theory.

Maybe if she's quick enough, _she _could be the one to tell everyone Mal's dark secret—

With a little help from Maleficent's scepter.


	45. Chapter 45

**Here is the chapter I hope everyone has been semi-waiting for! There is still one chapter that I know everyone is dying to read, but it won't happen just yet. We still have a few road-bumps to go.**

**The poll for next story is up on my profile so be sure to vote. There are seven options with three of them potentially being chosen. Be sure to read the poll to understand the conditions. The winners will be announced in the last chapter of this story. I think that is about it so . . .**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

The next morning after the incident on the bridge, a Royal Council meeting was called to discuss the somewhat-urgent matter. Personally, neither Ben nor Mal understood why such a meeting was needed.

When Mal arrived at the castle a few minutes prior, she noticed a room blocked off just down the hall from Ben's bedroom. The king insisted that it was a 'personal project' that he's been working on for the past few weeks. The inside would be revealed when the intended 'owner' arrives.

Anyways, huddled together in the parlor of King Ben's castle with the rest of the Royal Council, the meeting was called to order by the previous king.

"I think we all know why we're here," King Beast insisted to the young couple. When they appeared confused, he furrowed his bushy brows behind his black-framed glasses in slightly frustration. "The people are in a panic about Hades. He almost got out."

Ben scoffed at the ridiculous accusation. "He wasn't trying to escape, though," he argued pointedly. "He merely blocked our path so he could speak to Mal. It's not like he used his ember on us. The 'people' are making a fuss over nothing."

"That is another matter we need to discuss," King Beast insisted before he adverted his attention to the unusually quiet fairy. "What did Hades mean when he talked about you not telling the truth for three years?"

"Dad," Ben scolded with a soft glare. "Don't pry into Mal's business. If she wanted to, she would have told us. Trust her to tell when she's ready."

"It sounds like Hades will if she doesn't," Fairy Godmother recalled, speaking as though Mal wasn't there. "She has until the day after Jane's birthday to tell us on her own."

"To tell 'him'," Queen Belle reminded softly as she turned to the fairy for answers. "Mal . . . who is the 'he' Hades spoke of?"

_Beeeeeeep!_

Saved by the high-pitched alert, Mal breathed a relieved sigh at the conversation being diverted as Ben checked his phone. The momentary easement lasted for only a brief second when the king's facial expression morphed into surprise at reading the message.

"Maleficent's scepter and the queen's crown were stolen from the museum last night," Ben revealed with a dreadful breath.

Queen Belle and Fairy Godmother gasped at the unexpected news. Mal's mouth hanged agape at the information. It was just one situation after another now . . .

"Uma," King Beast bitterly accused with no reliable evidence. "She stole Ben's ring, now she has the scepter and the crown!"

"No," Mal automatically denied, shaking her head for further effect. "Uma has been staying with her grandfather ever since the Cotillion incident. Lord Poseidon has been updating me about her stay. I received a message half-an-hour ago stating that Uma was still at his castle, but is considering leaving _tomorrow_. She is constantly on watch for her safety and she knows it. Even if she did, I would have been notified if she left at any time."

"Even if she's not the culprit, there is still a villain roaming around with a dangerous weapon," King Beast stubbornly insisted to win the argument. "Anyone from the Isle could have escaped without you noticing and stole the scepter for themselves. The only way to prevent any exposure of danger to the people is to close off the barrier and prevent any travel to the Isle of the Lost. For good."

Mal's jaw dropped at the suggestion. Panic swirled inside at the horrendous thought of being permanently separated from her daughter. This could _not _be happening!

"The decision is final," King Beast sternly added, ignoring the fairy's horrified expression.

"The hell it is!" Ben flamboyantly cursed, much to the surprise of his parents and the headmistress. "There are still children on the island that deserve to come to Auradon! Children that have just started their life not too long ago. You are just going to forsake them without a second thought?"

"It's the right thing to do for our people," King Beast argued.

"The Isle are _my_ people too," Ben reminded as he glared viciously at his father. "And _you _are _not _the King of Auradon anymore, so your choice doesn't mean _shit_! I am king and I say travel to the island will still be permitted. During our engagement party, the barrier will be removed for good as my gift to my queen and my princess. _That _decision is final and there's not a damn thing you can do about it!"

At his proclamation, Ben stormed away to control his raging temper leaving Mal wondering a few things. She knew Ben referred to her as his 'queen' . . .

But who did he mean by his 'princess'?

* * *

Later that evening, when she had settled in for the night at Evie's starter castle, Mal received a text from her beloved fiancé. Ben apologized for his angry outburst and asked for her forgiveness. _And _there was something he needed to tell Mal; something he has been keeping from her for far too long. Curious by his text, Mal admitted that she has kept something from him too, which was Hades was referring to the day prior.

A few text exchanges later, the couple mutually agreed they would meet before Jane's birthday party to spill their separate secrets. From then on, they wouldn't keep anything secret from each other—unless it's for a special gift, of course.

So the next morning, Mal walked out of the castle in a purple skort a few minutes ahead of when her friends would leave. She carried Jane's well-thought-out gift in her hands as she intended to head to the party after her 'meeting' with Ben.

But, sadly, her plans wouldn't go as she wanted.

As she closed the door behind her, Mal noticed pink smoke billowing from the corner of her eye. "I was hoping you were home," teased an all too familiar voice.

Lifting her head, Mal allowed a small, ironic laugh to escape her lips when she took in the villain's appearance. "Well, well," she greeted drearily. "I should have known you would have stolen the scepter and crown for yourself, but I didn't think you would do something so . . . _villainous_."

"Can you blame me?" the perpetrator wondered as she twirled a strand of her magenta ombre hair with midnight blue tips. Her black-and-blush leather 'jump-suit' with black feather accented duster matched the evil sorceress vibe the princess was going for with the Dragon's Eye in one hand and the queen's sapphire crown on her newly colored hair. "The crown and chance to become 'queen' were stolen from me, so I decided to steal something for myself."

"You already stole something," Mal bantered with a glare. "You stole your unborn child's _life_. Isn't that enough for you, Audrey?"

Enchantress Audrey scoffed as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. "When will you let that go?" She interrogated harshly. "When will _any of you_ let it go? If you aren't harassing me about it, my grandmother is! When will you realize that it was my choice and you can't change it?"

"When will the guilt for killing your own child sink in?" Mal retorted, cautiously setting the purple gift bag on the nearby table so it wouldn't get damaged in any cross-fire. "When will _you _realize that you won't get away with this? Just give me the scepter so we can end this before you go too far and do something you'll regret."

Audrey instinctively passed the scepter to her other hand, the movement being way too smooth for just receiving the scepter. "I'm just getting started," she warned with a sinister smile. "After all, you are hiding something, and I said I would find out what it is. With the scepter, I intend to do just that. It's time for revenge."

Before Mal could have a chance to prepare herself, Audrey waved the illuminating scepter in her direction. With that simple motion, the fairy was forced on her knees by a powerful, yet invisible force. Though the fairy felt as though she was violently thrashing around like her life depended on it, it looked as though she wasn't moving.

When Mal became immobilized from the magic, the gold chain of her treasured locket came to view, catching the attention of a now intrigued Audrey.

"That damn locket," Audrey sneered bitterly, though she gingerly held the delicate heart-shape charm in her hands. "You refused to let anyone touch it because it is so precious to you. You show it off like it's the best piece of jewelry you own, yet hide it every time someone asks to see the pictures inside. You get so defensive and walk away from the conversation until you are satisfied that it won't be brought up again. It always made me wonder . . . what are you hiding in this dragon heart of yours?"

Panic swirled in Mal's widened eyes as she caught on to the new villain's intentions. "Audrey, wait—!"

Stopped from her protests by the squeezing force created by the scepter, Mal couldn't help the distressed squeal that escaped her lips. Though that momentarily distracted her, the fairy still watched in horror as Audrey effortlessly ripped the necklace from her neck, breaking the chain in the process. Standing to full height, Audrey slowly opened the locket to the build-up the anticipation.

The evil enchantress's eyes widened as she took in the two pictures. "No fucking way!" Audrey shouted before adverting her attention to the restrained Mal. "This girl. . . Is she your daughter?"

A single tear trailed down Mal's cheek at the question, unintentionally giving Audrey the answer she was looking for. "No wonder you were so offended every time my abortion was brought up," Audrey commented as she tried to smash the puzzle pieces together to force them to fit. "You were thinking about being stuck in a situation similar to mine! Who's the brat's father? She looks too old to be Ben's—wait a minute!"

A scheming gleam appeared in her eyes as Audrey smiled victoriously. "That's what Hades was talking about!" She determined. "He somehow knew you were keeping your daughter a secret from Ben! You've been keeping her a secret from everyone! What, is her father from the Isle and refuses to claim her?"

"That's . . . not the whole case," Mal strained to say under the scepter's magic. "Audrey . . . please—"

"Just WAIT until Ben hears about this!" Audrey interrupted as her smile grew more sinister with every passing second. "Do you think he will still love you when he finds out you have a daughter? Especially when you won't be the one to tell him first? As a matter of fact . . . why don't I tell everyone at Jane's birthday party? My reputation was ruined in front of a large crowd, and now you'll know _exactly _how it feels."

Before Mal could have any opportunity to persuade the villain otherwise, Jay, Evie, Carlos, and Celia burst out of the house after hearing some illegible commotion. Not bothering to savor the aghast and dismayed expressions produced from her new villainous look, Audrey lifted the scepter in the air, disappearing in a cloud of charcoal and pink smoke—

Taking Mal's locket with her.

Now that she was no longer in range of the powers of the scepter—or the inexperience user—the crushing weight that surrounded Mal dissipated to nothing. Giving herself a moment to catch her breath, Mal stood to alert her friends of the danger.

"Audrey has the scepter and we need my father's ember," Mal informed as she mentally came up with the game plan on the spot. "It's the only thing stronger than the scepter. I left my spare key for his house at the hideout and we don't have the time to travel across the island twice. Any suggestions?"

"I'm his errand rat, so I have a spare at my dad's arcade," Celia notified helpfully. "I can come with so you can get in and out."

"Perfect. Go get changed and we'll leave," Mal ordered before adverting her attention to her three worried friends. "Evie, Carlos, you need to come with. There's someone I want you to meet."

Jay couldn't help his surprised expression. "You're really going to introduce them?"

"I have to," Mal claimed bitterly. "Audrey knows. We _have_ to get back before she tells Ben!"


	46. Chapter 46

**Readers that I have private messaged, do those that I have told remember how I said four of the eight during the bridge struggle scene on the Isle will know of Mallory? This chapter will reveal who that fourth person is.**

**If you haven't already, please be sure to vote on my poll! There is one option I know some of you will be interested in reading, but it has the potential of losing. Be sure to vote!**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

The guests attending Jane's birthday party were having a blast at the serine Enchanted Lake. Some splashed around in the sparkling green water while other enjoyed cupcakes off a three-tiered pastry stand as they gathered around a crystal punch bowl. A periwinkle banner decorated with pink bows reading HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANE hung above their heads.

Without warning, the music died as a fierce wind swept through the party with a whoosh. Pink smoke swirled around on the grass as Audrey appeared from the cloud, wearing the queen's crown and holding the Dragon's Eye scepter.

"Well, well," Audrey greeted with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "It seems like _someone_ forgot to send me an invitation."

The party-goers weren't sure what to make of the princess's new villainous appearance. As she strolled around the party, they feared what Audrey could possibly do to them with her new-found power. One false movement could be the end of them.

Reveling in the shocked and scared expressions of those around her, Audrey plucked a blue-frosted cupcake out of the hands of a terrified guest. "I wouldn't be expecting Mal if I were you," she cooed nearly sadistically while tossing the cupcake behind her for spite. "If I had to guess, she's probably on her way to the Isle."

Mentioning the horrible island reminded Audrey of her hatred towards the fairy and fueled her desire for revenge. "How could you accept someone like her?" she interrogated the detestable party guests, spinning the scepter around to appear more threatening than she truly was. "She's a damn liar and a hypocrite! She's been keeping a secret from all of us ever since she stepped foot in Auradon! How could you allow someone like that to become queen!"

Before more accusations could be heard, Chad scurried down the hill to catch the enchantress's attention. "Time out!" He pleaded as he held his hands out to 'tame' the villain. "You know I hate those VKs as much as you do. Before you do whatever you plan on doing, is there any way that I can join you? Be your partner in crime? Or even your sidekick?"

Audrey tilted her head in contemplation. "You _could _be useful," she mused thoughtfully. "I need someone to spread Mal's secret across the kingdom while I have a little _chat _with a king."

Upon seeing the confused looks on the spectators' faces, Audrey's sinister smile returned bigger and eviler than before. "Didn't you hear the big news?" She paused for dramatic effect before revealing slowly, "Mal has a _daughter_!"

Only a small handful either gasped or had their jaws dropped at the revelation. The remaining guests whispered conspiratorially to one another, wondering if they should believe the words of the new evil enchantress.

"Mal has been keeping her daughter hidden on the Isle of the Lost," Audrey vehemently insisted, making some consider the truth behind her words. "Her ex got her pregnant and then refused to claim their child! Best part is, Ben has no idea about the child!"

More murmuring and whispers were exchanged with one another. Although there was no viable proof, a majority were becoming convinced by the princess's words. The rest wondered if the couple's engagement finally caused the princess to go insane.

"You _still _don't believe me?" Audrey interrogated incredulously, clenching her jaw to display her aggravation. "Fine. If you like to ignore so much, then you're going to love this!"

As the evil enchantress and sidekick strolled through the scattered guests, an ominous fog rolled in behind Audrey and Chad, placing clusters of students under a sleeping spell. Stopping on top of a rocky cliff, Audrey took a moment to observes the effects of her first plan of action. Satisfied that all the guests were asleep, Audrey used the scepter to teleport herself and Chad away in a cloud of smoke.

However, there was one person that outsmarted the villain at the last second.

When she stood alone on the stone pavilion, the menacing fog rolling closer to her with every passing moment, Jane made a last second decision to dive into the magical waters of the Enchanted Lake. When she could no longer hold her breath, Jane rose to the surface with a gasp of air, relieved to see the coast was clear. Climbing onto the pavilion, she dialed a number on her pink phone with a gold bow charm in hopes that _he_ wasn't placed under any kind of spell yet.

"_Hey, Jane,_" Ben greeted on the other line. "_Sorry I'm running late. Mal was supposed to meet me at my castle, but never did. I'm going to look for her then I'll be on my way._"

"No, no!" Jane shouted urgently into the phone as she wrapped a towel around her sopping wet shoulders. "Stay where you are, Ben! Audrey's got the scepter and everyone's asleep. She was spouting ridiculous lies about Mal too."

That caught Ben's attention as he forcefully questioned, "_What was she saying?"_

"That's not important," Jane stubbornly insisted, though a part of her was questioning the truth behind the outrageous lies. "I'm gonna call Mom and tell her to get her wand."

"_Wait, Jane! Don't do that! The wand isn't strong eno—"_

* * *

In the record time of twenty minutes, the five villain children arrived on the Isle of the Lost, parking their motorbikes in the rambunctious French Quarter.

Not thinking about taking their keys, the Core Four followed little Celia down a dark alleyway, where she led them to a steel door attacked to one side of the wall. Once it slid open, Celia skipped inside while the four friends cautiously walked through in case there was some sort of trap. Pushing aside a heavy set of curtains, the Core Four couldn't help marveling at the main entrance—a forty-foot tall, opened mouth mardi gras mask—led to a booming arcade packed with rowdy children of all ages having fun.

There was no denying that Dr. Facilier created a successful business that benefited nearly everyone. And speaking of the Voodoo Man . . .

"Daddy!" Celia greeted as she ran to her father at the center of the arcade floor.

Barely having enough time to toss his cane to a customer for safe keeping, Dr. Facilier lifted his daughter in the air for a brief second before placing her back on the ground. Suddenly, the two busted into an impressive coordinated dance, which was how the two usually greeted one another.

When the secret salutation was completed, Dr. Facilier tapped his cheek dramatically, expecting the typical kiss his daughter would give him. Instead, Celia teasingly tapped her father's hat before trying to run away. With no trouble, Dr. Facilier caught his daughter with a tight hug. "Come here, you little rascal!"

Celia giggled happily at being caught so easily while Dr. Facilier's face was illuminated with the kind of joy brought on by an excellent surprise.

However, his happy expression faded away when he noticed the Core Four staring at duo with a certain urgency, but not wanting to ruin their moment.

"Mal," Dr. Facilier greeted first with a tip of his hat after he broke his hold on his daughter. "What do I owe the pleasure, future queen?"

"I need Celia's key to Dad's place," Mal informed impatiently. "Mine is at the hideout across the Isle, but I don't have the time to go there. A princess from Auradon stole the Dragon's Eye. Dad's ember is the only thing strong enough to break any spell casted by the scepter."

"You're just in luck," Dr. Facilier claimed, bringing out a key from his leather pants' pocket. "I was about to head over there to give another test," he admitted, carefully choosing his words since the others were present. "I assume, they still don't know?"

"No, but I'm introducing them while we're there," Mal agreed with a disgruntle sigh. "The princess I mentioned found out and is planning on telling everyone before I can. I have to get back before she tells my fiancé."

"Then I won't keep you," Dr. Facilier promised softly, surprising the out-of-the-loop trio with his tenderness toward the fairy. "May I offer some advice? Don't stress over their reaction. If they are truly your friends, they will support you."

"It's not my friends I'm worried about," Mal admitted fearlessly. "I'm worried about my fiancé."

* * *

After the conversation with the business-man, the Core Four and Celia hurried out of the arcade. Now that they had the key, all they had to do now was head to Hades's place to get the ember. With the help of the bikes, they should get there in no time at all. There was just one small problem . . .

Someone was about to nab their rides.

"Wow. Rookie mistake," Carlos scolded himself and their friends, feeling foolish that they did something so stupid.

Sitting astride the VKs' pristine motorbikes were none other than the despicable Harry Hook, clueless Gil, and two pirates from their crew. The Core Four were used to leaving their bikes unattended with keys in the ignition in Auradon, but this was the Isle of the Lost. Their bikes were free to be taken by anyone that dared to try.

"Long time no see!" Harry greeted with a smarmy smirk, his pirate accent drowning out some of his words.

"You're a dead bastard, Hook!" Jay threatened as he leaped over street trash to chase after the pirate. "Get off my bike!"

"Catch me if you can, Jay!" Harry provoked before revving down the avenue.

Gil sped off after him, waving his arms in the air as he drove pass them. Those who watched on the streets couldn't blame him for doing such a thing. They would have done the same on their first ride on a foreign vehicle.

"You three go after them!" Mal ordered her friends before the thieves could get to far. "Celia and I will grab the ember. Meets us at the Bridge Plaza after!"

With only a slight not, Jay exclaimed to his other two friends, "Over the roofs! We'll cut them off!"

Jay scurried up the side of an old shack with Evie and Carlos following his lead with no hesitation. "They will take of them," Mal reassured the fortune-teller. "We would only slow them down. Our priority is the ember."

"We better get there quickly," Celia commented with a worried look. "Hades really hates it when I arrive unannounced during his nap time."

* * *

Although Celia preferred to use the miner cart, the girls ran as fast as they could through the underground mining cave to get to the god's home. In a time that could have been better, the duo arrived to find the living-room portion of 'lair' empty.

"Dad!" Mal shouted, much to the annoyance of Celia, who wanted to slip in and out just in case they came at a bad time. "Mallory! Anybody home!"

Celia hurriedly swung her head toward the fairy in surprise, almost giving herself whiplash. " 'Mallory'?" she repeated, clearly confused by the second name. "Who the hel—"

"Mommy!"

Definitely giving herself whiplash this time, Celia veered her head toward a little girl that could have been Mal's twin with her natural purple hair, but possessed oddly light blue eyes. Celia could have sworn she recognized those eyes from somewhere, along with the handmade dress.

Taking only a couple strides forwards, Mal lifted the girl into her arms, peppering her cheek with kisses as she rested the child on her hip. The girl giggled at the affectionate action. "Mommy! That's too many!"

Halting in her actions, Mal smiled softly at the girl, despite the tense and stressful situation. "Sorry I can't take you with me this time, Lory," she apologized. "It's not safe right now. But I promise, you will come home with me in just a few more days. Can you wait that long?"

Only when the little girl nodded did Mal turn to face Celia, the duo's similarities too much to be a coincidence. "Celia," Mal began slowly, gesturing to the girl in her arms. "This is my daughter, Mallory."

Celia's jaw dropped at the shocking revelation. "_What_?" She automatically questioned in clear disbelief. "_How_? When were you pregnant?"

"When Mali was fourteen," replied a voice from the nearby bedroom. "It was during the time that everyone believed she was deathly ill, but it was actually an excuse to hide her pregnancy. She had Mallory when she turned fifteen."

Emerging from the bedroom, Hades slightly glared at the two 'women' that interrupted him placing his grand-daughter down for a nap. "Yourself, your father, Lady Tremaine, Jay, and his fiancé know of Mallory," he informed a stunned Celia before turning to his daughter. "And I assume that you still haven't told Ben?"

"I swear I was going to today," Mal vowed before her father could lose his temper on her. "We made plans yesterday to meet up this morning so I could tell him. Audrey, the daughter of Aurora, prevented that from happening. She stole the scepter, the crown, _and_ my locket. She knows about Mallory, but not the truth on how she was conceived. Your ember is the only thing stronger than the scepter. I need it so I can return to Auradon before she tells Ben and wreaks havoc on everyone that crosses her path."

"And Mallory?" Hades interrogated with a raised eyebrow. "When will you let her go to Auradon?"

"During my engagement party," Mal answered affirmatively. "Ben told his parents that he was going to bring down the barrier over the island as a gift to me. When that happens, all the villains will be welcomed in Auradon. _That _is when my daughter can finally come home with me."

Satisfied with that answer, the immortal dug around in his pocket for a brief second before tossing the ember to Mal, who managed to catch it with one hand since the other was firmly holding her daughter.

"The ember will be useless if it gets wet," Hades warned sternly. "And it won't do everything for you as it would for me since you are only _half _Hades."

"That will be more than plenty to stop Audrey," Mal reassured.

Mustering up another bright smile for her daughter, Mal cooed to the little girl, "I love you so much, Mallory. I promise, we will be together soon."


	47. Chapter 47

**Here is the next chapter!**

**I think I have a set schedule for when I update this story now. Instead of it being on a specific day each week, the story will be updated every four day. That means the next update day will be Wednesday, then Sunday, and so on until the story is over with. That can always change if I get too anxious over wanting to know your reactions. **

**Don't forget to vote on the poll when you finish reading this chapter! I only have eighteen votes right now and I am really hoping for at least thirty this time, maybe even fifty.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

In his castle office, Ben held his cell phone up to his ear as he called the shots to get things done for the safety of the kingdom. He was dressed in a blue-and-yellow leather riding jacket, prepared to leave at a moment's notice.

"I want the guards handing out gas masks." Ben paused a moment to hear the other person on the telephone line. "Not everyone is asleep!"

Tossing the phone aside on the desk, the king adverted his attention to the royal attendant that stood at the entrance-way. "Find out if anyone has seen Audrey," Ben ordered forcefully. "And see if anyone knows what the hell that bitch wants!"

Although surprised by his majesty's vulgar language, the young man nodded in acknowledgement before heading out the door. Once it was finally closed, Ben leaned back in his chair to relax for as long as he could.

That only lasted a second before his phone went off, signaling a call from someone. Silencing the ringer to maintain the silence in his office, Ben perked up at seeing the caller ID. Although he pressed the answer button, the king didn't have a chance to bring it to his ear before he sensed someone near. Only having enough time to text the caller to go mute on his side and then placing his own side on speaker, Ben placed his phone in his pocket just as an unnatural breeze went through the room.

"Here you are, Benny-boo!"

Flinching at the nickname he always despised, Ben stood from his seat to turn to face an evil enchantress, who was grinning evilly from ear to ear like a senile villain. "Audrey," he greeted with a careful brisk nod. "I heard you were the one that stole the scepter and the crown. Are you really that pissed about my engagement that you would do something so stupid?"

Choosing to ignore the obvious insult for the moment, Audrey smiled teasingly. "Those aren't the only things I've stolen today!"

The king furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, wondering what else the new villain could have taken. The color drained from his face as he watched a familiar gold, heart-shaped locket sway on its chain in the princess's grasp.

"Mal's precious locket," Audrey confirmed the king's suspicions. "Haven't you wondered why she's so protective of it? Or even what the pictu—"

"I know what they are," Ben interrupted forcefully. "They're of my princess and my queen."

Audrey raised an inquisitive eyebrow at a particular phrase she's never heard him say. " 'Princess'?"

"_Mallory_," Ben clarified impatiently, ready to get the conversation over with. "She is mine and Mal's daughter."

The wicked princess appeared visibly shocked from the explanation given. "'Your' daughter?" Audrey repeated, clearly confused by the answer. "But I thought Mal didn't tell you! How can you care for a child that is your fiancé's ex's?"

"She didn't," Ben reluctantly verified, much to his annoyance. "I found out about Mallory on my own. And you're wrong about who her biological father is. That bastard was _nothing _to Mal. He used her and refused to claim the child. Even though we share no blood, Mallory is still _my _daughter and I don't give a damn what anyone has to say about that."

Silently fuming in rage that her scheme didn't go according to plan, Audrey spat, "Well, it doesn't matter! Once I'm done with you, Mal, and the rest of the people in Auradon, I'll go find that brat—"

"_Don't _insult my princess," Ben warned, a snarl on the verge of emerging on his lips. "_Don't _threaten my daughter unless you want to awaken my _Beast_."

Eyes gleaming maliciously at the warning, Audrey grinned maniacally as a thought came to mind. "What a wonderful idea!" she cheered. "Sleeping is just too good for you!"

Before the king could process what she meant, a crackling hex, created by the scepter, knocked Ben on the ground. Audrey couldn't help grinning at the results. _That _worked better than she had thought!

Twirling on her heels, Audrey stepped onto Ben's balcony to gaze out at the entire kingdom of Auradon. "Sleeping is too good for Auradon too!"

Waving the scepter in the air once more, a menacing flash blanketed the kingdom, condemning the curse on all the people below—

_Not _reaching the caller, who was momentarily safe in Agrabah.

* * *

Less than ten minutes later, Mal and Celia finally arrived at the Isle's Bridge Plaza, where the remaining trio awaited them with none of their bikes. Luckily, the five had formed a back-up plan just in case something like that were to happen.

Using the remote that they never returned a few days prior, the impenetrable barrier flickered open just large enough for them to walk through. With the ember in their possession, they would be able to stop Audrey with no delays.

But, of course, the Fates just loved to prove Mal wrong whenever they can.

As the barrier began to close once again, two mischievous and scheming pirates jumped through with no hesitation. Somehow, they managed to emerge on the other side without a single scratch.

"We made it!" Gil exclaimed with wide eyes filled with amazement at finally being off of the Isle.

"Hey, guys," Harry greeted the worried crew with his infamous shit-eating grin. "We just came for a visit."

"Hell, no!" Jay denied as he stalked forward threateningly. "I've been waiting forever to fight you and now I have a good excuse. You'd be lucky to live after I'm through with you!"

Hoping to prevent the oncoming struggle, Carlos stepped between his friend and the pirate. _That _only resulted in Harry shoving the younger teenager aside, pushing Carlos unwillingly into Mal. The abrupt force against her caused the ember to jostle free from her grip. Mal made a feeble grab for the escaping ember, but the pirate's hook scooped around her hand before she could retrieve it. The ember sailed high into the air, out of reach. The Core Four watched helplessly as it plummeted toward the deep dark water below. Mal waited with agony for the telltale splash.

And yet . . . the splash never came.

Instead, a long, slimy turquoise tentacle emerged from the sea. It stretched to impressive length, skillfully snatching the ember out of the air. With a whoosh, Uma, in her part-octopus form, rose grandly from the rough waters, gripping the powerful ember.

"Drop something?" Uma teased as the ember started sizzling in her grasp.

"It can't get wet!" Mal warned desperately. "Please! I need the ember to save Auradon! Give it back before it goes out! I'll give you anything you want! I promise!"

Satisfied with the response, Uma wrapped her tentacle tightly around the ember before sinking into the water. In the next moment, a whirling burst of water gushed upward, out of the ocean's roiling surface. With a mighty explosion, the water rained down on those standing on the bridge.

"Anything?" a voice repeated uncertainly behind the group. "Are sure that's a promise you can keep?"

Turning themselves around, the five teenagers saw Uma in human form standing on the Auradon side of the broken bridge. The ember was still lit in her hand, not receiving enough water to permanently extinguish it.

"Yes," Mal firmly assured to prove her seriousness. "Anything you want. If I can't give it to you, then I can convince Ben—"

"That won't be necessary," Uma interrupted harshly. "Because what I want are answers. Grandpa refused to tell me no matter how times I asked him, so I'll ask you: what the hell happened to you?"

"That's _none_ of your business," Jay declared as he stalked toward the sea witch threatening. "What happened to Mal is her own personal business. She doesn't have to tell you because you demand it."

Glaring at the Isle thief, Uma backed up toward the bridge's edge and thrust her hand over the side, threatening to toss the ember into the water. "How 'bout now!" She shouted aggressively. "Either she tells or I throw this overboard. Hades's ember won't be useful to you at the bottom of sea!"

"Quit playing games, Uma!" Evie pleaded half-heartedly, though a part of her was wondering about the same thing. "Mal hasn't told me or Carlos what happened either, yet we are her friends! There's no way she's going to—"

"I was raped."

_Silence_. . .

Other than the sound of crashing waves, that was all that could be heard among the group as they processed the unexpected revelation. There were so many mixed expressions amongst the group that it was hard to keep track of them all.

First, the man responsible for the horrendous tragedy.

Though he should have been completely shocked, Harry Hook couldn't help the scared expression on his face. Nearly five years have passed since that faithful night between the two of them, yet this was only the second time he heard the fairy use the 'r' word to explain the events. If Mal is starting to tell details about that night, then it was only a matter of time before she says it was _him._

Jay's mouth hanged open from the shock of hearing Mal say the second word she despises. She never says it because it brings back memories of the incident she desperately tries to forget. Since she finally admitted it to her closest friends, maybe it will make it that much easier to tell about _her_.

Spunky Celia had her eyes wide open in understanding. From the moment she met the fairy's daughter, she wondered how Mal became pregnant when she never dated anyone on the Isle. Everything was starting to make sense, except for one thing: Mallory's eyes. If only Celia could remember where she has seen eyes like hers _before_ . . .

Now, for those who don't know of the secret child.

Somewhat surprisingly, Gil was fuming in rage at hearing what happened to the fairy. When his older brothers first became interested in women sexual, he would spend countless nights saving them from being used for their sick pleasure. Eventually, his brothers ended their disgusting acts because they grew tired of Gil's intervention. Though he stopped his brothers, Gil would still roam the streets at night to prevent anyone else from being taken advantage. He couldn't _believe _that he wasn't able to save Mal!

Carlos's face was completely void of any emotion at hearing the news. He has known Mal for as long as he could remember—though they weren't necessarily friends during a majority of that time—yet never knew of the tragic fate that befell her. If only they had become friends sooner, _he_ could have prevented it from happening . . .

Evie felt as though time was slowing down around her at the announcement, making her zone out from thinking of the last few years. From the day they re-met when they were sixteen, Evie knew of Mal's preference of people staying out of her personal space. The fairy never allowed anyone to touch her without permission, the Isle princess only recently discovering it was from 'sexual assault'. She never imagined in a million years that it was such a despicable act that caused Mal to be so closed up. All those times Evie mentioned the assault, she was unknowingly reminding Mal of her tragedy. She is _such_ a terrible friend . . .

Although she was incredibly pissed off moments prior, Uma suddenly became overwhelmed with depressing emotions. Her eyes turned bloodshot as tears threatened to spill over, making her face puffy. Her bottom lip quivered uncontrollably as she somehow managed to whisper, "_What . . .?_"

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Mal took a moment to work up the courage to finally tell the story in its entirety.

"I was fourteen," Mal reminisced slowly to keep herself composed, though she was merely digging a knife into conflicted wounds. "During a party, a guy pressured me to drink so much that I couldn't fight back. He could have killed me from alcohol poisoning, but he didn't give a shit. Even though I was plastered drunk, I remember asking him to take me away from the party. Instead, he took me to his room and took advantage of me. I tried so hard to get away from him, but it was useless."

"Where the hell was I!" Uma demanded hysterically, clutching the ember over her heart at hearing such a devastating tale. "Why didn't I save you?"

"You were working at your mother's restaurant," Mal vaguely recalled. "Nobody had paid me any attention at the party, so it gave the bastard the perfect opportunity to do as he pleased."

"Is that what your dad was talking about?" Carlos wondered softly. "He wanted you to tell Ben what happened?"

Resolve completely diminished, Mal couldn't help the sob that escaped her as she weakly nodded, all the negative emotions from that night rushing back. Surging forward, Uma embraced her cousin in a comforting hug. Unable to contain her emotions any longer, Mal hid her face in the sea witch's shoulder as she silently cried her sorrows.

Allowing the fairy a few moments to express her emotions, Uma pulled away far enough to lift Mal's chin so she would look at her. "I'm so sorry I couldn't help you then," Uma apologized sincerely. "But I _can_ help you now."

Smiling bravely for her cousin, Uma offered the ember as a peace treaty between them. "My crew and I will help you save Auradon," she vowed as the fairy cautiously accepted the ember. "After all, you and I were taught to never turn our backs on our family, _especially _when they need our help."


	48. Chapter 48

**Not the best chapter, I admit it. Definitely could have been better, but I tried.**

**Once again, be sure to vote on my poll, which is at the top of my profile. You have until the chapter before last to vote!**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

After Mal took a few moments to compose herself, the motley crew of villain kids marched over the bridge that essentially led to the back entrance of Auradon Prep. Obviously, there was a particular pirate that was reluctant to join in the venture, mainly due to the announcement revealed not so long ago. However, he didn't want his friend nor his captain to grow suspicious of his attitude, so he unwillingly followed his captain's request to help with the fairy's problem.

When the allied group finally arrived on campus, the greeting scene shocked them once again.

"They're asleep," Evie announced as she absorbed the alarming sight of the school's lawn littered with sleeping students. "Everyone."

After a failed attempt to call her beloved, Mal sighed in frustration as she tried to redial the number. "I can't get Ben," she complained with another huff. "I'm getting a busy signal every time."

Trying a call of her own, Evie added, "My call to Dizzy went through, but she didn't answer."

"Jane's phone went straight to voicemail," Carlos informed the group. "Maybe Audrey disrupted the signa—"

"_Albi_!" Jay greeted when his call miraculously went through. "Hey! Where are you right now?"

"Right now?" repeated a voice from nearby. "I'm checking out a hot guy's ass while he's on the phone. You think he'll let me top tonight if I give him good news?"

Rolling his eyes at the promiscuous suggestion, Jay ended the call as he shouted out in the open, "You better hope it is. Right now, I am no mood to do anythingtonight with everything that's going on."

The familiar voice chuckled softly before he emerged from the shadows of a nearby tree, revealing his identity. "This will you cheer you up," Aziz guaranteed as a happy, genuine smile emerged on his lips. "I found a surrogate mother."

Jay visibly brightened at the news while Mal managed the best smile she could for the couple. "Congratulations," she cheered softly. "I'm really happy for you. You're one step closer to being parents."

Hearing almost no enthusiasm in her tone when she was excited for them before, Aziz raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the unusual behavior. "Is something wrong?" he wondered curiously. "You sound depressed."

"I'm fine," Mal fibbed unconvincingly. "Saving Auradon will take my mind off my problem."

"So, you're Jay's boyfriend, right?" Uma questioned in a successful attempt to change the subject. "Aziz?"

"_Husband_," Aziz corrected with a light shrug. "We eloped last month so we wouldn't take any attention away from Mal and Ben's engagement."

"Have you been here long?" Carlos interrogated to get everyone back on the matter at hand. "Do you know what happened here?"

"I only know because I called Ben just before Audrey showed up in his office," Aziz informed before explaining, "Audrey used the scepter to place a sleeping spell on some students and turned the rest to stone, except for Ben. She did something else to him."

Mal's eyes flashed with fear, but not for the reason some would believe. "Did Audrey tell—"

"Didn't say a word," Aziz promised with so much sincerity that he managed to convince Mal that it wasn't a blatant lie. "Your secret is still safe from him."

"Why don't we check the school for Audrey while we're here?" Gil suggested in his way to be helpful to the situation.

"Audrey has no reason to be at Auradon Prep," Carlos denied logically. "She went after the scepter, the crown, and Ben. She may be hiding out at his castle. Either way, we still need to check on Ben."

Harry rolled his eyes in annoyance at the minor delay. "And how do we know he's still at the castle?"

"I have a tracker on his phone," Aziz informed as he showed his cell-phone screen to the group, which displayed a map of the area and a blue blinking dot. "I used it all the time during sophomore and junior year so I could sneak around with Jay in our shared room. I 'forgot' to take it off his phone a couple months back. It's shows him at his castle."

"To the castle," Mal pursued, grateful that the debate was over with.

* * *

After a half an hour walk, consisting of ignoring sleeping and statuesque citizens, the mismatched ensemble finally arrived at the king's extravagant castle, though it felt more like a maze with all the hallways that led to nowhere important.

"Ben!" Mal called out for the third time in the past minute, her unanswered shouts echoing through the passageway. "Why won't you answer, Ben!"

"Tracker shows him in the room down the hall," Aziz informed as his eyes was glued to his phone. "Let's—"

"Hold up," Uma interrupted before anyone could take another step. "What's this?"

Along the walls, deep claw marks scratched into the surface. The scrapes went straight through an old framed map, cutting it clean in half. Further down the corridor, broken furniture laid against the ruined walls as royal-blue curtains were torn to tattered shreds.

"Any chance that was already there?" Carlos wondered nervously, hesitant to travel any further due to the discovery.

"Ben's Beast," Jay construed, having ignored his friend's question to make the observation. "Audrey must have used the scepter to turn him."

"Or, at least, help bring him out," Mal predicted with the limited knowledge of what really occurred. "Ben was probably mad already and the Beast was threatening to come out. Audrey created that final push."

"I did hear him curse a few times during the conversation," Aziz faintly recalled, though he once again fibbed, "Audrey made an empty threat toward you when Ben warned her not to do such a thing to prevent his Beast from awakening."

"What are you talking about?" Evie interrogated once she became fed up with being out-of-the-loop on the conversation. "And why do you keep saying 'beast' like the word is a separate person?"

The trio exchanged glances with one another, silently asking who would reveal that secret. Upon the voiceless agreement, the king's gay best friend stepped forward.

"Ben has a hereditary temper problem that comes from his father," Aziz revealed, though that part wasn't much of a secret. "When he's angry, his hands turn into a monster's claws, pupils shrink into slits, and fangs grow. The first time that happened was during the first time I stayed the night at his castle. He and his dad got into a yelling match because of me. Ben went to his room afterwards and the next thing we know, he starts transforming. From that day on, we referred to that part of him as his 'Beast'."

"Wait," Gil requested as he remembered something from over a year ago. "When Ben almost killed Harry on the ship—"

"His Beast had taken over," Aziz confirmed before glared sharply at the abnormally quiet pirate. "You did something that pissed him off: you insulted his _queen_. _That _is the quickest way to bring out his Beast."

Instead of denying the claim, Harry maintained his silent behavior, which made those who didn't know grow suspicious of him.

Those five didn't have long to ponder on the pirate's unusual attitude since they had strolled into the palace's gallery of armor. Sunlight shone through the domed stained-glass ceiling, illuminating artwork of the great battle scenes and gallant knights of past reigns. The grow couldn't appreciate the impressive collection of armor since they realized they were at a dead end _and _one of the windows were shattered like someone had jumped through it.

"Great!" Carlos shouted sarcastically at their efforts being for nothing. "Now what are we going to do?"

"I say we split up," Uma suggested with a small shrug. "Some of us go look for Ben while the rest go to wherever the cheerleader bunks down for clues."

"That's not a bad idea," Evie complimented to show her agreeance. "Audrey still lives in the dorms because she of summer school."

Harry scoffed at the explanation. "Summer school? No wonder she wanted revenge."

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Mal ordered, "Boys, you track Ben and find out what exactly Audrey did to him. Us girls will go to her dorm room to search for clues."

"I should go with you four," Jay insisted with a stubborn tone in his voice. "Just in case something happens, and you need some strength."

"_Excuse _me!" Uma placed her hands on her hips in a sassy manner. "In case you forgot, Mal and I are children and grandchildren of the eldest gods. We were _born_ with inhuman strength that no mortal can even _think_ about competing with."

"In other words, we'll be fine," Mal reassured. "We'll meet at Evie's castle in two hours."

* * *

"So, a surrogate mother?" Gil recalled as he and the other males walked through the woods to search for the missing king. He hoped starting a conversation would end the tension and awkwardness between them. "You two are wanting a child? What gender are you hoping for?"

"I want a girl," Jay admitted with no hesitation.

"And I want a boy," Aziz added, pausing in his stride to observe their surroundings. "If we have a boy, I get to name him 'Cassim' after my grandfather."

"_When _we have a girl," Jay began with a teasing tone, "I get to name her 'Nasira' after my late aunt."

"Why do you want a girl so bad?" Carlos wondered curiously. "You go on and on about wanting a daughter, but you never said your reason behind that specific gender."

"I just thought a girl would be easier to raise," Jay insisted with a careless shrug. "Either way, Mal and Ben are going to be the god-parents."

"Kids are a pain in the ass," Harry insulted with an annoyed roll of his eyes. "I'm never going to any."

"That's not the reason I heard," Aziz stubbornly argued as he turned to face the pirate. "According to your chat with Ben a few months, you don't want kids because you're bisexual; into both women _and _men."

The trio whipped their head toward the pirate in question, surprised to hear such a thing. Cheeks burning deep red in rage at his sexuality being revealed to his friend and past crush, Harry stalked menacingly toward the Auradon thief, gripping his hook tighter as he threatened, "You are so _dead_!"

Before anyone could make a move, a horrifying roar boomed throughout the forest. As soon as the group could identify where the noise came from, a ferocious monster with wild eyes jumped out from his hiding spot within the trees.

The behemoth narrowed his eyes at his main target, growling, "_Le violateur_. . ."

Not having the time to wonder why the monster said such a thing, Harry Hook jumped out of the way just as the beast made a lunge for him. Reluctantly, Aziz bravely stood between the two of them, hoping the fiend wouldn't attack him.

Luckily, the furry creature backed down for just a moment, snarling, "_Bouge, mon ami_."

Although he only knew a few phrases, Aziz couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped him at hearing those words. "I knew it."

"Knew what?" Carlos wondered, his arms up in a defensive position. "What did he say?"

" 'Move, my friend'," Gil translated, as he was the only sane person in the vicinity that was fluent in French. His eyes were completely wide in surprise as he announced, "That's King Ben!"

Beast-Ben let out a deafening roar at his name. His long, bushy tail whipped around wildly, warning that he would make a move at any moment.

"Ben," Aziz greeted serenely. "Calm down. Don't let your Beast control you. Do you really want your queen to know that you can't contain it? Do you want your princess to fear you?"

The last question seemed tame the feral creature just long enough for a forceful stream of water to blast him out of nowhere. All heads turned to find Jane standing in the forest clearing, squirting another rapid-fire stream of Enchanted Lake water, almost breaking the curse on the king.

"Jane!" Carlos exclaimed, enveloping his girlfriend in a tight hug when he rushed to her. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

Meanwhile, the rest of the group was checking on the soaking wet Ben, who still looked part beast with his unruly hair, a full beard, and fangs. "I'm alright too," he reassured between deep breaths to compose himself. "Where are the girls?"

"Mal, Evie, Uma, and Celia are probably at Evie's castle by now," Aziz assumed once he checked the time on his cellular device. "They went to Audrey's dorm room to find clues on where she could be hiding out. We'll explain the rest on the way."

"Speaking of Audrey," Jane intervened reluctantly, "she—"

"Hold up," Jay purposefully interrupted.

After dragging the birthday girl to the side to speak in private without the others eavesdropping, Jay quietly interrogated, "Alright, what did Audrey say?"

"Well . . ." Jane slowly began in the same low tone as the thief. "She said Mal has a daughter with her ex. Is that true?"

"Partially," Jay agreed carefully. "She does have a daughter, but not from her ex. Mal's daughter . . . was conceived from rape."

Eyes growing wide in shock, an inaudible gasp escaped Jane's lip at the revealing information. "_What_!" Jane exclaimed through a whisper. "That's awful!"

"Mallory is Mal's greatest blessing," Jay informed, surprising the teenage girl even more. "Besides Aziz, you are the only one in our friend group that knows about her. Meanwhile, Ben is the only one that doesn't know about Mal being raped. Mal wants to tell him about both herself. Please, don't say a word about the rape, or especially Mallory. Okay?"

If only they knew. . .


	49. Chapter 49

**Warning and announcements for the next few chapters!**

**There will be no author's notes at the beginning of the next few chapters due to the events that will be taking place. I want the word count to be more genuine for those chapters. I plan on expanding an event that took up less than five minutes in the movie to take up an entire 2000 to 2500-word chapter, maybe more.**

**Starting chapter 50, the live results won't be displayed on my poll, which is still posted at the top of my profile. The results will be displayed once the poll is closed when this story ends. I already started an 'outline' for the High School Musical option, with fourteen chapters already planned out for just the first movie. This story still has quite a few chapters to go before it ends, so be sure to vote! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Sitting together at the kitchen table at Evie's starter castle, Mal and Uma were genuinely enjoying each other's company, which was the first time in many years. Evie and Celia were nowhere to be seen for separate reasons. Doug, Evie's boyfriend, had fell victim of the sleeping spell, so the cousins respectfully left so Evie could wake him up with 'True Love's Kiss'. Meanwhile, little Celia felt a little tired from all the action and secrets being spilled that she needed to rest upstairs. As for Dizzy, the twins, and even Dude, all four of them were victims of the spell too and were asleep on the couch in the living room.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the incident," Mal apologized after a few moments of silence. "My first thought was to find comfort in Jay because he was the closest person to me. He took me to Dad and Dad did everything he could to make me feel better. He even got into a yelling match with my mother so I could live with him."

"Does Maleficent know?" Uma wondered softly, making sure she stayed within the boundaries of the issue. "Did you tell her about the incident?"

Hesitating for a moment, Mal shook her head in denial. "If I did, she would have called me weak," she assumed with a heavy heart. "She would have called me so many insulting names because I couldn't stop it from happening."

"You don't know that," Uma argued tenderly, though she was thinking the same as her cousin. "She could have sympathized with you."

"That's just it though." Shaking her head once more, Mal ranted, "I don't want people to feel sorry for me. I'm not a victim and I'm not a damsel. I'm a . . ."

Uma tilted her head curiously at her cousin trailing off. "You're a . . . what?"

Just when the fairy was about to tell another secret, Celia came running down the stairs in a mad dash to the windows. Twirling on her heels to face the cousins and the dating couple—who had just walked into see what the commotion was about—the fortune telling had a wide mischievous smile on her face.

"Heeey," Celia began as she gestured to the window with head, her full attention directed on Mal. "It's your bae!"

Relief washed over the fairy as she rushed toward the entrance. Practically slamming the front door open, Mal sprinted down the stone path toward her fiancé. Ben barely had enough time to brace himself for the impact before his beloved slammed into him. The king was about to make a joke about her actions when he felt her shuddering in his arms.

"Mal," Ben cooed ever so lovingly as he ran his fingers through her luscious purple hair. "There's no need to be upset. Nothing bad happened."

Mal raised her head to narrow her slightly bloodshot eyes wryly at her fiancé. "Audrey cursed the nearly the entire kingdom to sleep," she reminded as she summarized the day's events. "She turned everyone else to stone. With your beard, I'm guessing she awakened your Beast, but you managed to break the spell partially. Worst of all, she stole my locket!"

The king's eyes widened in feign surprise at the last declaration. "I had no idea about your locket," he skillfully fibbed. "I promise, when this is over, we will get it back for you."

For extra reassurance, Ben placed the sweetest of kissed on her forehead. Mal couldn't help giggling at the feel of his beard brushing against her face. "I guess a couple good things came out of this," she commented as she ran her fingers through his scruffy beard. "Uma and I are friends again and _you _are rocking this beard."

Chuckling at the compliment, Ben had a certain gleam in his eyes as he teased, "You like it?"

"Definitely." Mal smiled as she playfully tugged on her beloved's facial hair. "I could get used to this, but I am _not_ kissing you while you have fangs."

Snickering softly, Ben joked, "I _guess_ I can live with that, but I'll wait until after our wedding to grow one."

Though everything appeared to be peaceful at the moment, Jay just had to ruin the moment when he placed his hand on Mal's shoulder expectantly. "We need to talk," he muttered in her ear so Ben couldn't hear. "It can't wait."

Curious of what was so urgent, Mal reluctantly broke her embrace from her beloved. While Uma and the other girls spoke with the rest of the guys, the fairy was taken out of hearing range from the group where Jay awaited him with—

"Jane?" Mal greeted in confusion. "What's wrong?"

Instead of answering immediately, Jane surged forward to hug the older teenager, making the fairy wonder why she was acting so irrational. "I am so sorry," Jane apologized, pulling away to look at the purple-hair girl. "I can't believe something like that happened to you."

"Jane knows," Jay blatantly explained, "about the incident _and _your child, but not the father."

Mal's eyes widened in fear as she jerked her head back to the birthday girl. "How? Who . . . ?"

"Audrey," Jane answered, though that should have been obvious. "She came to the party and ranted about it. Nobody really believed her, so she casted the sleeping spell on everyone, but I managed to escape it. She said you had a child from an ex, but I never thought you would have one by r—"

"_Please _don't say the word," Mal pleaded before the younger teenager could finish. "I have PTSD from the incident and can't handle hearing the word. I barely managed to say it a few hours ago and I'm still slightly shaken from it."

"Sorry," Jane apologized once again, though she timidly wondered, "If it's not too much to ask, can I see a picture of your daughter?"

"Of course!" Reaching into her leather jacket pocket, Mal retrieved an old, worn-out photograph and handed it to Jane, warning, "This isn't a recent picture. Mallory is one in the photo, but she's turning four in a couple months. My locket has photos of her when she almost turned three, but Audrey has it."

"She is so beautiful!" Jane complimented as she returned the picture. "Who's watching her while you're in Auradon? Your mother?"

"My father," Mal quickly corrected. "Aziz and your mother are the only Auradonians that know this, but Hades is my father. I have a better relationship with him, so I went to him for help with everything regarding the incident and the preceding events. Since the day I discovered I was pregnant, I lived with him so I could raise Mallory in secret, with the help of him and Jay."

"That's the real reason I want a girl," Jay added to the conversation. "I have some experience raising a baby girl, so it would be easier for me to raise a daughter than a son. But that's enough of that. Mal, there's something Jane needs to tell you."

Mal tilted her head once more at the birthday girl. "Please tell me it's that you know where the Fairy Cottage is at, because that's where we think Audrey is hiding out at and I need some good news right now."

"Actually, I do!" Jane agreed all too giddily. "I can get you the address, but that's not the real news."

Debating on how to break the news, the birthday girl sighed softly as she decided to just go for it. "Chad is in on Audrey's scheme," Jane revealed almost reluctantly. "Before they fled, Audrey mentioned having Chad spread your secret while she spoke with Ben. I haven't seen anything, but I think Chad's going to have the News Network tell your secret to the entire world."

* * *

Once she heard that important piece of information, Mal was more determined than ever to find the scheming duo to prevent her secret from getting out to everyone. With Jane providing directions to the Fairy Cottage and Hades's ember, the gang had everything needed to stop Audrey's evil plans to take over the kingdom.

However, the goal was for it to be a 'covert' mission when they storm the villain's hideout. With how massive their group now was, some had to stay behind to ensure everything went smoothly. Since they had no knowledge on how to fight, even in self-defense, Doug and Jane volunteered to stay behind at the starter-castle to watch over the sleeping children and dog. Though he was reluctant to leave his husband during such a tense situation, Aziz offered to stay with the other two AKs since he had more skills in fighting and combat.

So later that evening, deep in the harrowing woods when dusk began to settle, the ragtag team approached the cottage with great precision. Careful to remain silent, Ben and Mal approached the flower-covered gate first, having each other's back in case anything happened. Once the coast appeared to be clear, the signaled the others to follow. With a whoosh of adrenaline, the Isle children and the King of Auradon charged through the front door, ready to take on anyone who came in their way.

And yet, neither Audrey nor Chad were to be seen.

However, they could hear the faint sound of a keyboard typing in an area separate of the living room. Heading toward the supply closet, Mal slammed the door open to see Chad Charming sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. A laptop rested on Chad's lap as he pencil-tapped the keys, almost like he didn't know where any of the keys were.

"Whoever you are, give me five minutes," Chad requested as he kept his eyes focused on the keyboard. "I need to type this up before I send it to the News Network. Audrey will be pissed if I don't get this done soon. I can't WAIT to see the look on Mal's face when—"

The arrogant prince was interrupted from his little rant when his computer was suddenly swiped from his lap and returned a moment later in two separate, broken pieces. There was no way it could be used again.

"What the hell!" Chad shouted in frustration. "Do you know long that took—"

This time Chad was the one to stop himself from talking when he looked up to see a pissed off Mal standing over him. Gulping in fear, he assumed, "You're going to hit me now, aren't you?"

Instead of answering verbally, Mal socked him across the face, effectively knocking the prince out and most likely breaking his jaw again.

"Damn, cuz!" Uma cursed after witnessing the previous events. "You must really hate that guy."

"That's Chad Charming," Ben introduced, though he was visibly glaring at the incapacitated prince. "He doesn't like anyone from the Isle. He doesn't like Aziz because he's gay."

"Nah, that's not it," Harry denied as he checked out the prince a little longer than he should have. "My guess? He's just pissed Aziz doesn't care what people think about his sexuality when he is bisexual."

Evie raised a curious eyebrow at the pirate. "And you know that how?"

"Harry is bi," Gil revealed without a second thought. "He probably has a radar for that kind of thing."

When the girls whipped their heads toward him in astonishment, Harry glared at the secret-spiller in contempt. "You don't have to tell everyone you see!"

Fuming in rage once more, Mal exhaled a frustrated breath. "I'll be angry about that later," she decided bitterly. "For now, we need to find Audrey so we can get this damn situation over with. I want my locket back."

Brushing past her friends, Mal stormed out of the cottage as she tried thinking of a new plan to find the evil princess. Luckily—depending on how you saw the situation—a calmly voice, sounding similar to her father's, warned her to turn around. When the fairy obeyed, she couldn't help the inaudible gasp that escaped at seeing such a horrifying sight.

All of her friends, her fiancé, her cousin, and her abuser—though she didn't care about him—were paused in their stride as they were turned to stone. They had clueless expressions on their faces, like they had no idea something bad was about to happen to them. However, there was one spunky teenage girl missing from the group.

"Help me!" cried a voice in the distance. "Somebody, help me!"

"Celia!"

* * *

Arriving at the back of Auradon Prep, a hair-raising lightning bolt rippled through the sky, warning Mal of the location of the perpetrator. Raising her eyes, Mal saw Audrey's silhouette atop the school's parapet. The enchantress had Celia pulled to her chest, using the young Voodoo girl as a human shield.

"What's the matter, Mal!" Audrey sneered with a snide smile. "Aren't you going to save her? Maybe I should have kidnapped your daughter instead! Would you be more motivated to save her?"

_Oh, hell no! That bitch did not . . .!_

Seething once again, Mal gripped her father's ember, wishing with all her might that she could get up there to teach the princess a lesson. The next moment, the fairy temporarily disappeared in a blinding blue light.

On top of the parapet, Audrey peered over the side with a snarl of confusion, wondering where the fairy could have gone. Using that distraction as an opportunity, Celia managed to break free from her captivity and cowered in the corner, as she had nowhere else to go. As Audrey began to talk menacingly toward the fortune teller, someone behind her cleared their throat.

"What did you say about my daughter?"

Unable to help the sinister snicker that escaped her lips, Audrey twirled around to face Mal, who stood just a few feet away with her arms crossed over her chest in a pissed off manner. The ember glowed vibrantly in the fairy's hand, but the evil enchantress payed no attention to it.

"I said I was going to kidnap her," Audrey taunted as her insane smile grew the more she spoke. "Once I do, I'm going to lock her away in the deepest, darkest dungeon where you can _never _find her. When I get tired of her screaming for her 'mommy' and 'daddy', I'll kill her!"

Mal's glare deepened as her eyes flashed their vibrant green eyes. "There's one major problem with your plan," she warned.

_BA-BOOM!_

"AH!" Audrey screamed as she instinctively dropped the scepter, which was now fire due to being struck by a random bolt of lightning. That was impossible! The fairy didn't even move!

"_I _am the daughter of Hades," Mal revealed while the villain clutched her slightly burned hand. "I am the _niece_ of Zeus and Poseidon, the other two eldest gods to ever exist. The brothers' motto through-out the eons is to not turn your back on your family. They would _never _allow you to do anything to their grand-daughter or grand-niece. _That _is why your plan was doomed from the start."

Before the enchantress could anticipate what happens next, Mal thrust her arm toward her. The blue laser of the ember locked on to Audrey, draining the sorceress of her power. Weakening under the ember's crippling glow, Audrey crumpled unconscious to the ground; the queen's crown no longer on her head.

"Mal!" Celia shouted as she hugged the teenage-mother tightly. "I can't believe you did it!"

As she wrapped her arm around Celia, the fairy noticed Audrey's lifeless body. Rushing to her side, Mal held out the ember, believing its magic would wake her. "Audrey?" she called, expecting the princess to arouse from her daze. "Audrey?"

Nothing happened, which reminded Mal of her father's warning. She was only _half_ Hades. The ember couldn't do everything that Mal wanted it to do.

There was nothing she could do.

And, after everything the princess put her through, Mal wasn't sure if she wanted to.


	50. Chapter 50

Now that Audrey was no longer in possession of the Dragon's Eye, every spell or curse created by the scepter was broken. All the students awoke from their slumbers and those made into stone statues were returned to living people. To top off the good news, Ben looked like a respectable king again with no fangs or claws.

As for the bad news, Audrey has yet to wake from her coma.

Once Audrey transformed from an evil enchantress back to a princess, Mal called her friends to inform them of what transpired. Afterwards, Jay contacted his husband and the other two AKs to summarize their events. While Jane and Doug went to look for Fairy Godmother, Aziz met up with the other group at Audrey's door room.

Anguish and despair hanged in the atmosphere as everyone hovered over the unconscious princess. Mostly everyone found a piece of furniture to sit on while Ben and Uma opted to stand. Mal and Evie each sat on opposite sides of the bed as they watched over the lifeless body.

Evie sighed as she slouched in her chair. "She's slipping away," she commented depressingly. "Mal, I have no idea what Audrey said to you, but we need to do something before she's gone for good. Any suggestions?"

With an exasperated breath, Mal reluctantly revealed, "There is only one person who may be able to save her, and that's Hades."

"Hades?" Ben repeated, his arms crossed over his chest in a stubborn manner. "Why would he?"

The fairy tilted her head in confusion at the king, until she suddenly remembered: Ben still doesn't know the truth about anything. Mal planned on telling him everything a few hours earlier, but never had the opportunity because Audrey intervened before she could.

_Now or never_, Mal glumly thought to herself as she stood from her seat. Approaching her fiancé with her head bowed in shame, the fairy inhaled to calm her nerves. "Ben," Mal began uncertainly, her eyes focused on her feet. "There's something I need to tell you. Something important. Umm . . ."

"Mal," Ben interrupted softly when the fairy trailed off. "I know Hades is your father."

Mal jerked her head upward in surprise. "What?" She questioned rhetorically. "How? Who told you?"

"Nobody," Ben insisted with a playful roll of his eyes. "It's obvious you are his daughter. No one else on the Isle has blue hair that turns red when angry. Mix his two hair colors together and you get your purple hair. It only makes sense."

"Oh." Mal nodded absentmindedly before she tilted her head once more. "Then why ask if he would? I'm his daughter, so he'll do it for me."

"That's not what I meant," Ben claimed. When his queen still appeared confused, the king slowly explained, "I meant, why would Hades help Audrey when she threatened Mallory?"

All heads whipped toward the king at hearing the secret name for some and unfamiliar name to others. Those who didn't know the names had their faces scrunched up in curiosity. The 'uncle' and young fortune teller had an 'oh shit' expression, knowing something was about to go down. The other two males that knew maintained calmed expression; one having already known of the king's knowledge while the other didn't want to create suspicion on himself, though that essentially made it worse.

As for the future queen, Mal's eyes were as wide they could possibly be at hearing the little girl's name. All the color drained from her face as panic billowed inside her. "_What_?" Mal demanded incredulously before she turned her head to look at Aziz. "Did you tell him?"

"No," Aziz immediately denied, though he had a guilty look in his eye. "Ben told _me_. I knew nearly everything before you came to Auradon, but kept quiet about it when you told me for his sake."

"Hold up," Uma requested, as she and three others had no clue as to what was happening. "Who is this 'Mallory' chick?"

"Mallory . . ." Mal trailed off a moment, before eventually sighing in defeat. There's no point keeping it a secret anymore. "Lory is my daughter," she revealed.

Only four of the ten in the room gasped at the shocking announcement, making those select few wonder just how long it has been a secret. "_You_," Evie started as she referenced to Mal in a disbelieving, yet hurtful, "have a _daughter _from the rape. . . ?"

"That makes sense," Carlos weakly claimed, before explaining to Evie, who didn't know the details, "Mal was supposedly sick during the last semester or so of her eighth-grade year _and_ that summer. The only people that ever saw her was Jay, Lady Tremaine, and Dr. Facilier, but they never spoke of her condition. It wasn't until after the first week of her freshman year that Mal returned to school, but acted like nothing happened. My guess? The 'illness' was used as an excuse to hide her pregnancy."

"That's right. I would get so defensive about Audrey's . . . abortion, because Mallory's birth father demanded time and time again that I 'get rid of her'," Mal informed, only a small weight being lifted off her shoulders at finally telling the truth.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Evie demanded too harshly for the current situation. "You've been going through this for nearly five years and you're telling us _now_? Why!"

"I didn't want people to see me as a victim or a damsel. I wanted them to see me as a _mother, _but I knew they wouldn't because of my age," Mal alleged. "If word had gotten out when the incident happened, I would have had to suffer through the looks people would have given me at being pregnant at fourteen. I didn't want to hear people whispering behind my back about how I should ask the Auradonians for help to lose my child. I almost lost Lady Tremaine's help because I blew up on her when she suggested it."

"Wait . . ." Uma requested as she remembered an earlier conversation with her cousin. "You said you never told your mother about the incident. Does that mean she doesn't know about Mallory?"

"No," Mal admitted with a saddened sigh. "I was so scared for Mallory. I thought if my mother knew, she would take my daughter's life. That's the real reason I lived with Dad, to hide my pregnancy and my daughter."

"So, Mallory has been living with your father while you've been in Auradon?" Gil assumed. "Why didn't you take her with you?"

"I didn't want her to be used as a punishment against me for when we attempted to steal the wand," the fairy explained glumly. "My . . . violator wanted nothing to do with her, so I thought Mallory would be safer with my father."

Mal adverted her attention to her fiancé, not noticing the way the brute perked up at a certain word she used. "Besides what I've said, how much do you know?"

"The 'incident' happened Halloween night when you were fourteen," Ben revealed all too knowingly, surprising the mother and uncle with that significant detail alone. "The next morning you went to your hideout because you knew Jay would meet you there. You told him what happened and the two of you went to your father's home in the underground miner's cave for his help."

Mal narrowed her eyes slightly at the king. "That's what I told Uma before all of you showed up at the starter castle," she stubbornly insisted. "You just managed to hear me tell her. You don't know anything."

Shaking his head in amusement at his queen's stubbornness, Ben rattled off, "August 25th, 2014."

Uma snarled her nose at hearing such a specific date. "And that is?"

"Mallory's birthdate." Mal shook her head in disbelief. "But how do you know that? The only people that know are Jay, Dad, and Lady Tremaine."

"Because _that _is also the day I dreamed of the barrier around the Isle coming down," Ben revealed with a small smile. "In that dream, a beautiful woman with purple hair waited next to me for someone to arrive from the island. That 'someone' was an equally beautiful little girl with the same purple hair as her. The girl jumped into the woman's arms and called her 'Mommy'. When the girl saw me, she outstretched her arms to me and called me 'Daddy'. I didn't want to wake up from that dream, but when I did, I decided to make the dream a reality by starting a program to get villain children off the island."

"I'm not sure if I should believe you," Mal cautiously admitted, nearly melting under the gazes under everyone watching the two of them. "That just seems a little too farfetched to be true."

"How many more examples of proof would you like?" Ben challenged, ready to verify every possible detail of his knowledge of the little girl. "How about when you returned to the Isle a few days before Cotillion, you were toddler-proofing the hideout so you could raise Mallory without your father's assistance? Or the fact that I met your father _and _Mallory while you and your friends were on your way to Agrabah the summer before our senior year so I could ask for their blessing to marry you?"

The fairy's jaw dropped at the new information. "You did _what_?"

"Who else would have given Mallory 'Cerbie'?" Ben interrogated teasingly, purposely using the toy's nickname. "After that day, I made sure to sneak away to the Isle at least once a month so I could spend time with her, always using the excuse that I had a meeting. After all, _I _was the one that taught Mallory to read because I was concerned for her eye-sight."

"During one of those visits, Hades received the request from Jay for the pictures used in your locket," Ben continued, confessing everything that he kept secret. "When the photographs were returned, Hades gave them to _me_. I used one for the locket I gifted Mallory on her third birthday, the same birthday that you received yours. Since she was turning three, Mallory's locket was modified to hold three pictures. The left has the picture of you and her when she was first born, the middle space is empty at the moment, and the right is a picture Hades took of me and her while Mallory was sleeping."

Heart beating too fast to count at the profession, Mal held her hand out expectantly. "I want to see the pictures," she requested, or more like demanded. "I will know if you're telling once I see them."

Chuckling softly at his fiancé's persistent attitude, Ben calmly removed the priceless photographs from the secret pocket inside his jacket. With the three faced downward, the king willing offered the pictures, joking, "I want them back when you're done."

Rolling her eyes at the comment, Mal took the pictures as the four who didn't know huddled around the fairy to take a look at the photographs themselves. When she flipped the stack over, Mal couldn't stop the subtle gasp that escaped her lips. The first image was the 'updated' version of Mallory sitting on her grandfather's couch, grinning from ear to ear while hugging the toy Cerberus with all of her strength. The second was newborn Mallory sleeping soundly in her then-fifteen-year-old mother's arms. The last was a picture Mal never seen before, which was Ben laying on the couch in the underground cave as Mallory slept with her head on his chest.

Taking just a few moments longer to process the valuable photos being in her beloved's possession, Mal gingerly handed back the stack, wondering, "Why would Hades give you the first two photos?"

"He believes that a father should have a few pictures of his daughter."

Mal's eyes widened in complete shock. "Wait . . . _what_!"

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Ben wondered curiously as he carefully placed the images safely back in his pocket. "I made hints to you about bringing whoever you wanted to Auradon, but you _never _took me up on my offer. Ever since I can remember, I have referred to Mallory as my 'princess'. Aziz and your father can vouch for me on that. When I said I wanted to remove the barrier for my queen and princess, I meant you and Mallory. The bedroom I've been working on, down the hall from mine, is Mallory's for when she _finally_ comes to Auradon."

"Ben . . ." Sighing softly, Mal reluctantly revealed. "There was a complication with her birth. I can't have any more children."

"So?" The king shrugged carelessly at the information. "I want to marry you for _you,_ not for your ability to have children. Mallory is all we need. I love Mallory, and I want her to be _my _daughter too."

Choking back a sob, Mal softly interrogated, "You . . . want to be her step-father?"

"Not her step-father," Ben stubbornly denied, straightening his stance to appear more serious. "I'm going to be the _father_ that _steps_ _up_."

Like water breaking down a damn, all the emotions Mal kept inside about her unfortunate circumstances broke through the surface. Sniffling uncontrollably, the fairy stepped forward to embrace the king that would comfort her, burying her face in his shoulder to hide her unstableness from her friends. "Thank you," she whispered between her blubbering. "You don't know how long I've waited to hear that."

"You don't have to thank me for acting like a father; for acting like your future-husband," Ben reassured as he wrapped his arms securely around his beloved. "This is the _least_ that I can do for you and her."

"Welp!" Jay clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Now that _that _is settled, I'll head to the Isle with the royal guards to get Hades so he can help Audrey. I can watch Mallory until he gets back."

"You can't go," Aziz argued with a disgruntle sigh. "I haven't had the chance to tell you, but we're supposed to be in Agrabah in the next few hours to go over the contract with the surrogate mother. Once that's done, we have to stay a couple extra days to do the process. We won't be back until a couple hours before the engagement party."

"Then I'll go," Uma volunteered, rolling her eyes when some looked confused at the suggestion "I am Hades's niece, so maybe I can convince him to go. Besides, I want to meet my baby cousin. I can watch Mallory while he's in Auradon."

"I can show you the way!" Celia offered a little too cheerfully. "Sorry, I just miss my dad. Since the barrier is being removed, I can stay with him and come to Auradon whenever I want!"

"Not me," Harry insisted with an inconsiderate shrug. "I have no reason to be in Auradon, so I'll gladly stay on the Isle."

"You can stay on the island _after_ we return from the engagement party," Uma practically demanded.

"Since everyone else is, I'll go back to the Isle too," Gil informed as he spared a quick glance at a certain someone. "I have some _business _I need to take care of."

"Then it's settled!" Uma declared. "We'll be back for the party."

"Be careful whenever you introduce yourself to Mallory," Mal warned, having turned her head to look at her cousin. "She's going to be extremely shy. She may not trust you."

"I think she will . . ." Uma trailed off with a small smile to show off an object she has had in her possession for the past year or so, "_after _I give her this gift from her daddy."


	51. Chapter 51

A few hours later in the early morning, the Sea Three and the voodoo fortune teller arrived on the Isle of the Lost in the fancy Auradon limousine. The girls' plans were the same as discussed before. Celia would lead the royal guard to the entrance of the cave while Uma would follow to the god's home. Uma would watch over her baby cousin while Hades would travel to Auradon to help, _if _the girls could convince him to do so.

As for the boys, Harry claimed he would be returning to his home on his father's ship and wouldn't be leaving until the 'ridiculous' engagement. Gil, on the other-hand, claimed he had some unfinished business he needed to take care of for the king and future queen. However, for reasons that wouldn't be discussed until later, the brute trailed behind the pirate for a few moments before roughly dragging him down an abandoned alley-way.

Uma did believe the action was quite odd, but didn't have the time to dwell on it since Celia was heading in the opposite direction. Within a few minutes, Uma was feeling quite claustrophobic while traveling in the underground mining cave. The sea witch preferred the openness of the ocean than the closeness of the cavern. Celia reassured her that the feeling would pass shortly, but Uma wasn't sure if it would.

Within a few minutes, the two girls arrived at the home, where the owner awaited them with his arms stubbornly crossed over his chest.

"Mali told me you two were going to pay me a visit during our video call just a few minutes ago," Hades revealed as he lightly glared at the visitors. "Yet she never told me the reason why. Care to enlighten me?"

"Audrey fell under a spell-induced coma," Celia informed, going straight for the main point. "Since I'm one of the handful that know where you live, I came to get you so you can help. Mal thinks you can save her with the ember."

"Why should I?" Hades retorted obnoxiously. "From what I heard, that _princess _caused quite a bit of trouble and even stole Mali's locket. That doesn't sound like someone that needs saving."

Pausing in his rant for a moment, the immortal nodded at his niece. "And what are you here for?"

"To watch the reason you never leave your cave," Uma knowingly claimed.

Eyes widening in apparent shock, the god wondered, "She told you about—"

"Grandpa Aido?"

At hearing such an adorable voice, all heads turned to see a little girl partially hiding behind the bedroom door. Uma couldn't help the unconscious breath she held at seeing the child. With the purple hair and dress, she looked _identical _to Mal whenever she was that age. The only difference was the eyes, which were such a unique shade of blue, though Uma could have sworn she's seen them once before. . .

Hiding further behind the door at seeing a 'stranger', the girl questioned, "Grandpa, who's the pretty lady?"

Smiling softly at the compliment, Uma walked toward the little girl before kneeling in front of her. "Hello, Mallory," the sea witch greeted softly. "I'm Uma. Your mommy and I are cousins."

"Umie?" Mallory repeated with a slight tilt of her head. "Mommy never spoke of you."

"We didn't talk for a while," Uma explained, not sure just how much the child could comprehend at a young age. "You see, your mommy needs your grandpa's help with something on the mainland. She asked that I watch you while he's away. Is that okay with you?"

Mallory frowned, maybe wondering why she couldn't go too. "I guess . . ."

"Don't be sad, Lory," Uma cooed sweetly. "Will you cheer up if I give you a gift from your daddy?"

While both the grandfather and the grand-daughter perked up at hearing the question, Mallory was the one to eagerly nod for an answer, knowing how amazing her dad's gifts are. Chuckling at the girl's excitement, Uma took her sweet time to reveal a gold ring with a beast-like engraving.

"_This_," Uma began dramatically as she held out the jewelry to show the mystified child, "was given to your daddy when he was just a little bit bigger than you. I 'found' it over a year ago and never had the chance to return it. Your daddy said you liked your mommy's ring so much that he wanted you to have his. Do you like it?"

Enthusiastically nodding her head once more, Mallory swiped the ring from the sea witch, placing the over-sized jewelry on her tiny finger to marvel at its beauty. After a few moments of doing so, the little girl held her arms out expectantly. Taking that as a sign of approval, Uma lifted the girl into her arms as she stood, resting the child on her hips.

"See, Uncle? I have everything under control," Uma reassured as she adjusted the girl to a more comfortable position. "I can manage until you return."

Hesitating for a brief moment, Hades relented, "Fine, I'll go. Since he didn't yesterday and she's been home-schooled, Dr. Facilier will be by soon to give Mallory an academic test to measure her progress. If it doesn't take long in Auradon, I should be back before he finishes. If you have any trouble, he will be able to help you."

* * *

An hour or so later during the mid-morning, a looming black SUV pulled into the circular drive of Auradon Prep. Four commanding officers of the Auradon Royal Guard stepped out with one opening the rear door, flanked by the other three. Hades emerged next, the sound of chains hitting the pavement with a clank.

Upstairs in the dorm room, Audrey looked like a prissy princess with her pink gown and long brushed hair, still laying lifelessly on the bed. Holding her grand-daughter's hand, Queen Leah sat by bedside with grief overtaking her. Fairy Godmother and Queen Belle stood courteously on the other side while King Beast impatiently paced the rug that was placed a few feet away. Mal's purple hair was neatly pulled back into a low ponytail with a dragon barrette keeping it in place while Ben wore a less formal, nearly navy blue suit.

The uneasiness broke when one of the guards knocked on the bedroom door. When King Beast—having practically barged in front of his future-daughter-in-law—opened it, Hades stood in the doorway with a guard on each side of him. When the god was escorted inside, the dwellers could see him handcuffed and his ankles shackled together.

Surprisingly, Ben chuckled at seeing the immortal's shabby confinement. "Did they really think _that _can restrain you?" he interrogated. "Did they forget that you are a _god_? How long were you going to keep that act up?"

"About this long."

Less than a second later, Hades effortlessly broke free of his restraints with a simple tug. The chain connecting his wrists snapped at the minimal action. The royal guards, who stressed about detaining the villain properly, couldn't help being slightly tick at seeing their hard work go to waste.

Although she was amused by the action, Mal had to remind herself to focus on the main situation. "Thanks for coming, Dad."

"I didn't have much of a choice," Hades complained before turning his attention to everyone in the room. "Alright, let's make this quick so I can return to my grand-daughter."

The other four 'adults' in the room perked up at hearing the word. The women's eyes were wide in shock while the retired king glared in contempt. Meanwhile, Ben groaned at the secret practically being revealed. "We haven't told my parents yet," he informed with slight irritation in his tone. "Mal wanted to wait until after the situation with Audrey was handled before we tell."

"Mal." Queen Leah began uncertainly as she shook her head in disbelief. "Is it true, you. . . ?"

"I have a daughter," Mal confirmed, adding with a soft sigh, "who was conceived from rape."

Those who didn't know that 'little' piece of information gasped at the news. The retired king and queen of Auradon shared a look while Queen Leah stood from her seat to approach the fairy. "_That's_ why you got so defensive when Audrey's abortion was mentioned," she deduced softly. "Child, I am so sorry—"

"Don't be," Mal interrupted stubbornly. "Yes, she was born due to an unfortunate circumstance, but I love my daughter with all of my heart. I would do anything and everything to make her happy."

Unable to help herself, Queen Leah lurched forward to embrace the young mother. "You are so brave," Leah complimented the fairy in a whisper. "I wish I had known sooner."

"We'll speak privately about that matter later," King Beast declared, forcing the friendly pair to break their hug. "For now, we need to focus on Audrey before she passes."

Sighing reluctantly, Hades held out his hand toward his daughter, who handed over his ember in the same unwilling style. Standing at the foot of the bed, the immortal held the magical object above the slumbering Audrey. Under the god's command, the ember produced a dark whirlpool of colored lights, illuminating the room.

With a brilliant blue flash of light, Audrey lifted from the bed like she was in a trance. She gazed around the room with a false look of shame on her face. "I'm so sorry," she apologized insincerely. "I—I didn't mean to—"

"Bull-shit," Mal called out, ignoring the looks given to her for her vulgar language. "You're not sincere. You knew _exactly _what you were doing. And I want my locket back."

A gleam of fear shined in Audrey's eyes before she stubbornly claimed, "I don't have it. I lost it."

Mal turned her attention toward her father, who subtly shook his head in denial. With that answer, the fairy strolled to the bed-side before grabbing a fistful of the princess's hair, pulling her head back so she couldn't avoid Mal's eye. The princess exerted a painful squeal while the others gasped at seeing the horribly forceful action. Hades merely raised an eyebrow in amusement while Ben had his arms crossed over his chest with an emotionless expression on his face to hide his billowing anger.

"_You _are a _terrible_ liar," Mal declared as she tightened her grip ever so slightly, making Audrey cry out once more. "Along with being the god of the Underworld, my father can detect any precious metal or jewels, _including _my gold locket. I'm gonna let go, and, when I do, you have ten seconds to hand over my locket before I break your arm and maybe your leg too; _just _like I broke your co-conspirator's jaw _again_."

Scared for her safety, Audrey's hand immediately shot to her dress pocket, where she produced the 'lost' heart-shaped jewelry. Reclaiming her property, Mal calmly placed the chain around her neck so her father could use his magic to fix it. Once that was done, the fairy did one other thing that surprised everyone except her fiancé.

Mal _slapped_ an unexpected Audrey across the face.

Stinging from the harsh action, Audrey carefully held her bruise cheek, shouting, "What the heck! I gave back your stupid locket!"

"_That_ was for everything you've done in the past twenty-four hours," Mal clarified with a glare. "In case you forgot, you stole the crown, stole the scepter, and stole my locket. You spelled some of your fellow classmates into sleep and the rest into stone. You _tried _to ruin my reputation by giving false information about my past. Yes, I have a daughter, but she was _not _conceived from my ex."

Audrey tilted her head in confusion. "But you said—"

"I didn't say anything!" Mal shouted, causing the princess to cower at her furry. "_You _didn't give me a chance to! My experience regarding how I got pregnant is similar from yours. It both happened on Halloween night after a party. You willingly drank while I was forced. I couldn't breathe for a second before another glass was brought to my mouth. I almost got alcohol poisoning. You consented in having sex with Chad. I asked to be taken away from the party, but instead I was taken to his room and taken advantage of.

"You and I became pregnant at the same time, yet you chose to lose your baby because you were worried about your stupid reputation. I had a shitty life living on the Isle of the Lost and having Mallory was the only thing that kept me sane. My violator wanted nothing to do with Lory, so I had to raise her with only the help of my best friend and my father. I found out hours ago that Ben has been secretly helping raise our daughter—"

Stopping herself, Mal lightly touched her lips, surprised that she could say those two words so easily. Ben perked up at hearing the particular phrase. Smiling for the first time in hours, Ben teased, "How does it feel to say that?"

"Pretty amazing," Mal admitted with a carefree laugh in her tone. "And I am so _grateful _that I can say that and be happy about it."

Sadly, Ben couldn't enjoy his fiancé's happiness for he had to focus on the awakened villain that was still rubbing her sore cheek. "Now for your punishment," the king declared. "First, you will no longer be a princess because your royal status is removed."

Audrey's jaw dropped at the starting information. "But—"

"_Don't_ interrupt me," Ben barked over the complaint. "My temper is already short because of what you did. _Don't _make it worse for yourself."

Once the _ex_-princess took a moment to quiet herself, Ben continued, "You will no longer be attending summer school at Auradon Prep because you will be banished from Auradon."

"_Banished_!" Audrey repeated incredulously, not heeding the warning from before. "I barely did anything."

"You threatened our daughter, the King _and_ Future-Queen of Auradon's daughter," Ben reminded with a stern glare. "You said you were going to kidnap Mallory, lock her in a dungeon, and then kill her."

"Audrey!" Queen Leah shouted in shock. "How could you even _think _of doing such a thing? You were raised better than that!"

Before Audrey come up with a convincing sob story to get everyone on her side, Mal decided to add more details about the punishment. "With the barrier being removed shortly, you won't be banished to the Isle of the Lost," she revealed. "Instead, you will be banished to the Isle of the Doomed—a smaller, remote island on the outskirts of the Isle of the Lost's shores. The Forbidden Fortress, my mother's castle, is the only building on that island, so that is where you will live for the rest of your life."

"You won't be living their alone," Ben added before an argument could be heard. "Since he was stupid enough to help, Chad will be joining you in your banishment. Neither one of you will receive any assistants from the royal family or your families. You will have to learn to grow your own food, _cook_ your own food, mend your clothing, and so much more that you should know to do, but don't. You will also have to make the castle livable on your own."

Turning her head toward Queen Leah, Audrey interrogated erratically, "Grammy, aren't you going to do something about this!"

"No," Queen Leah denied with a stern look of her own. "You were given everything as a child, yet you craved more than you could ever have. You wanted to be a villain, so now you have a punishment fitting for a villain."

"The punishment will begin in less than two weeks," Ben interjected once more. "That should give you more than enough time to pack everything you want to take with you. Your luggage will be inspected beforehand just in case you decide to bring something you shouldn't. If I find out anyone helped you pack, your punishment will be moved to the day after the engagement party."

Audrey scoffed at the new information. "I'm not going to your stupid party."

"_Yes_, you are," Mal argued defiantly, "because you are going to see the little girl you wanted to hurt. Maybe then you'll feel truly sorry for what you've done."


	52. Chapter 52

**Posting this early because I have an announcement:**

**I have created a SnapChat account for my fanfiction profile. Reason for it: I can posts snap stories about upcoming chapters, upcoming stories, etc. This way you can also see sneak peaks of future chapters and story concept ideas. If you want to add the account, username is: rein-reads**

**Since this chapter was added day after the last one, next update will be moved to Tuesday to keep the four-day schedule routine.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Once the conditions of the punishment were heard, Hades returned to the Isle of the Lost to get everything ready for his grand-daughter's move. Audrey begrudgingly started packing for her long banishment while Queen Leah took a few moments to apologize to the engaged couple about her own grand-daughter's behavior and actions. Though it wouldn't be enough for what Audrey had done, Queen Leah offered her assistants for anything that Mallory may need when she arrives in Auradon.

As for Ben's parents, they weren't too happy about being out of the loop when it came to the secret revolving baby. They defensively assured the couple that they were perfectly fine with Mal having a daughter at such a young age, but the fairy wasn't convinced, as the retired royals whispered to one another as they walked off.

A few days later—after putting the final touches on their daughter's room—it was finally time for Ben and Mal's engagement party. Taking place on the multi-leveled terrace that overlooked Auradon's Bridge Plaza, the court was lined by the most bountiful trees with the four decks connected by blue carpet-lined stairs.

With her metallic-orchid dress, elbow-length lilac gloves, and gold peep-toe heels, Mal looked picture-perfect while King Ben looked, well, like a king. Arms intertwined with one another's, they made their way through the tunnel entrance of the plaza, where the party was already in progress on the other side.

Waiters balanced trays filled with gourmet food as they strolled through the plaza. Party guests mixed and mingled in their finest cocktail dresses and stylish sports coats.

Mal kindly waved to the guests, making sure to give a pointed look to Audrey, warning her not to try anything. It was Audrey's first public appearance since she stole the scepter and the crown again. Although she looked like herself again in a pink off-the-shoulder dress, Audrey preferred to be anywhere else. The last thing she wanted was to be at _another _celebration for the couple, especially since it would be one of her last days in Auradon. To make matters worse for her, everyone kept glancing at her every few minutes like they were waiting for her to do something.

After escorting his fiancé up the stairs to the plaza's main balcony, Ben clinked his crystal punch glass to get everyone's attention. "My queen and I want to thank you for celebrating our engagement with us today," he told the crowd before turning to Mal. "I can't be happier or prouder knowing our family will be whole soon." Smiling widely, he adverted his gaze to the celebrating masses. "So, raise your glasses to your future Queen of Auradon."

Nearly all the guests, with the exception of those who were feeling spiteful, raised their glasses in the air. "To our Queen of Auradon."

"Speech, Your Royal Purpleness," Carlos shouted teasingly, dressed in a black-and-white paisley jacket and skinny-cut black pants.

"Speech, oh fancy one," Jay yelled, laughing as the gold embroidery on his sport coat reflected the glow of the twinkle lights.

Snickering at her friend's behavior, Mal decided to get even a little bit while finally revealing her secret to everyone in the kingdom.

"First, I want to say 'congratulations' to my best friend, Jay, and his husband, Aziz, for finally finding a surrogate mother," Mal acknowledged, pausing a moment so the crowd could lightly applaud the gay-married couple. "In a few short, yet long months, they will be parents . . . just like me."

Allowing her audience a few moments to whisper conspiratorially with one another, Mal explained, "The rumors told to you were partially true. I have a daughter, who is turning four soon, but she's not my ex's child, mainly because I don't have an ex. As you may be aware, I had revealed that I was sexually assaulted on the Isle of the Lost. The assault . . . was rape."

A round of gasps could be heard amongst the people. Although she should have felt at least somewhat miserable at their pity gazes up at her, a weight listed off Mal's shoulder at finally coming clean, so she decided to continue.

"The incident happened on Halloween night when I was fourteen," she added, ready to tell everything about the occurrence once more. "The violator forced me to down so much alcohol that I could have died, which is the real reason I refuse to drink. I asked to leave the party, but he used it as an opportunity to take me to bed. One month later, I discovered I was pregnant with his child."

"Once I told him, he blamed the situation on me," Mal revealed as a pressure in her chest started to ease. "He said it was my fault, even though he forced himself on me. Jay and my father, Hades, told the violator numerous times that he needed to step up. He refused each time, disowned the child, and referred to her as 'it'. I didn't want any harm to come to my baby girl, so I kept her a secret from nearly everyone when I had her on my fifteenth birthday."

Surprisingly—to the spectators—Mal shook her head in amusement when she remembered something. "When I first came to Auradon and became Ben's girlfriend, I was determined to make sure he didn't know about the incident or my child," the fairy informed. "I was so focused on that objective that I didn't notice the hints he gave over these past few years. You see, Ben knew everything long before I came to Auradon and made monthly trips to see the little girl after cotillion, _without _my knowledge."

Tears welling up at a recent memory, Mal turned to look at Ben, who smile encouragingly. "No words can describe how _happy_ I felt when you said you would step up," she sobbed emotionally, trying her hardest to keep herself from crying, "or how you genuinely want to be her father. There's no way I can ever thank you enough. To top it off, _you _will be my husband in a few short months. I love you."

As though it was his way to comfort her, Ben kissed his fiance's forehead in the most lovingly manner, causing the crowd to 'awe' at their affection. Remembering that they had an audience, Ben reverted his attention to them, announcing, "It's time that we move forward from the past. It's time that we allow the people of the Isle to join us here in Auradon."

King Ben smiled proudly at his queen. "It's time to bring our princess home."

* * *

Finally.

After years of careful planning, Ben's dream was finally starting to come true. The people of the Isle of the Lost were finally and fully welcomed to Auradon with open arms. Some argued that it was impossible, but Aziz encouraged him the entire way; not once giving up on the king.

And there it was.

A pearly white bridge connected the mainland to the island filled with prisoners who never experienced the unimaginable opportunities offered in Auradon. It seemed to take forever for those who wanted to, to join in the celebration. The bridge was vacant of travelers, yet two very important people were still missing. Ben's heart ached with the anticipation of their arrival.

Suddenly, a slightly forceful pressure was felt applying to his hand. Looking to his side, Ben couldn't help losing his breath at how the evening light made his queen look even more beautiful than she already was.

"She'll be here soon," Ben promised as he lightly squeezed her hand in reassurance. "You'll see."

Mal adverted her attention toward him with a small smile, making his heart skip a beat out of habit. "I hope you're right. I just miss her so much," she commented in an angelic tone that always made her swoon. Then, her smile turned in a knowing smirk. "Although, she probably misses you more."

"Maybe," he agreed, the very thought making him giddy. "But—"

"Mommy!"

The engaged couple turned their heads toward the new bridge to see a little girl running toward them with her grandfather following: Mallory and Hades.

As though it was on instinct, Mal crouched down just long enough for her baby girl to jump into her arms. Once Mallory was secure, the fairy stood to full height as she kissed the girl's forehead, their matching purple hair melding together perfectly.

Then, Mallory turned toward him. Her bright yet incredibly light blue eyes shined with a certain kind of glee as she outstretched her arms to him. "Daddy!"

Smiling wider than anyone could possibly imagine, Ben gladly swooped the little girl into her arms. Mallory wrapped her tiny arms around the king's neck as her 'daddy' placed the sweetest of kisses on her forehead and cheeks. Adverting his gaze to his fiancé, Ben declared, "_This _is my favorite part of the dream."

Laughing happily at the statement, Mal turned to face the crowd that was watching them intently. "Everyone," Mal greeted before gesturing to her baby girl in the fiance's arms, "this is our daughter, Mallory."

* * *

After what happened to him when he returned to the Isle of the Lost, Harry Hook had no desire to attend the engagement party of the King and future Queen of Auradon. Gil somehow managed to figure out that he was the only that impregnated Mal and decided to teach the pirate a lesson.

Honestly, Harry couldn't remember what happened after Gil made the first swing. Gil had confronted him about the incident and the next thing Harry knew he was waking up in a dark alley-way, unable to move from the excruciating pain. Harry sat in that grungy alley-way for nearly the entire day as he waited for the soreness to disappear.

Due to that confrontation and the beating he received, Harry avoided everyone so no one would question what happened or why it happened to him. The pirate locked himself in his bedroom on his father's ship so no one could see him. Harry spent the next few days patching himself up until Uma finally showed up to drag him to the engagement party. Uma didn't question his condition or why Gil refused to look or speak to him. To be fair, Uma's mind was probably preoccupied with helping her little cousin pack for her move to Auradon. If Uma ever found out he's—

"Not interested in the brat?"

Harry flinched, the question breaking him from his train of thought. He hadn't noticed the princess—_ex_ princess, he reminded himself—sneak up on him until she spoke. It was the first time he actually met her in person, and, at first glance, she was pretty hot.

Audrey raised a curious eyebrow at the pirate. "You're Harry Hook, right?" she deduced. "When I had the scepter, I was watching all of you. I could also hear the group talking while I was in the spell sleep. You were the only one that didn't speak. Care to tell me why?"

"I just don't care," Harry slightly fibbed with a careless shrug. "As far as I'm concerned, I don't want the girl to know that I exist."

"Because . . . you're her real father?" Audrey assumed.

Harry's eyes widened in fear at hearing someone say the truth out loud again. "How do you—"

"She has your eyes," Audrey noted with a role of her eyes. "No one else has that same color except you. It won't be long before your friends and everyone else figure it out."

"One of my friends already know," Harry revealed with an aggravated sigh. "He beat me up pretty good too because of it. If my captain finds out . . . I'm as good as dead."

"What if she doesn't?" Audrey speculated with a scheming smile. "My 'banishment' to the Isle of the Doomed starts in a couple more days. You _could_ join me and Chad. After all, Uma can't kill you if she can't reach you."

Pondering on the idea for a moment, Harry insisted, "I'll consider it. If I don't give you a verbal answer within a day, then I'll meet you on the island."


	53. Chapter 53

**Here is the next chapter!**

**I want to guesstimate four chapters remaining after this one, but that can always change. If you want to see snippets of those chapters, add me on Snapchat at 'rein-reads'.  
**

**There are a few of you that have and I am hoping you're liking it. I had a conversation with one user and they like an idea I have for the last chapter. Now, without any further interruptions . . .**

**Enjoy**

* * *

Nobody could believe how exhausted they were after the thrilling engagement party.

Nearly everyone wanted to meet the daughter of Mal. Mallory must have been in the arms of all of her parents' closest friends by the time the party ended. Her feet didn't touch the ground since she arrived at the party!

Evie and Carlos were pleasantly surprised when Mallory somehow recognized the two of them at first glance when they never met her before. "What?" Mal had rhetorically questioned with a wide smile. "You really think I wouldn't tell my daughter about my other two best friends? Every time I talk to her over video chat, she wants to meet her 'Aunt Evie' and her 'Uncle Car-Car'."

All the anger the Isle princess held about not knowing of the child disappeared as a bloom of happiness took over, swelling Evie's heart to an unimaginable size. Afterwards, Evie kept her new 'niece' in her arms for nearly an hour while the parents spoke to a guest.

More specifically, a still slightly irritated Gil.

Once they were out of hearing range of the guests, Gil revealed his knowledge of Mallory's biological father. He discovered it not because of the child's eyes, but because of the couple's word choice. Mal called the man that abused her, her 'violator'. Ben, while in his angered Beast phase, called Harry a violator in French. Moreover, the word Ben used can also translate to 'rapist', which is what Mal's violator actually is. When he finished the explanation, Gil reluctantly promised he wouldn't tell anyone of his discovery, though he did admit to giving Harry a good thrashing when they had returned to the Isle. That explained why the pirate looked as though he was forcing himself to move.

But it didn't explain his request to join the other two in their banishment.

"It's best for everyone that I go with them," Harry had reasoned to the couple. "You know as well as I do, they won't be able to survive on their own. If I go, they will at least have a chance of survival and your daughter won't have any idea that I'm . . . you know. Gil already hates me. The last thing I want is for my captain to hate me. I can leave tonight while she's visiting with you and she'll have no idea why I left or where I went."

So, that's exactly what the engaged couple did.

After the party ended, the couple's closest friends and Hades joined them for a small 'get-together' at Ben's castle, so they could spend a little more time with young Mallory. However, their plans couldn't be fulfilled since the little girl was nearly half asleep in her mother's arms. Taking a few moments to tuck her tired-out daughter in bed, Mal joined her friends in the parlor.

As soon as she settled in her designated seat, Mal was bombarded with questions of Mallory's biological father from those who didn't know. Was he older or younger? Have any of them met him before? Was he at the party? Where does he live so 'I' (Uma) can kick his ass?

Before the fairy had a chance to utter a single word, a light knock was heard on the door before it slowly creaked open. "Mommy?"

"Lory," Mal lightly scolded as she stood to tend to her child. "What are you doing up? You're supposed to be in bed."

"I was scared," Mallory revealed as she cutely rubbed her watery eyes. "I woke up and you were gone. I thought . . . it was a dream."

Softening her resolve to be stern, Mal lifted her little girl into her arms and rested her on her hips. "You are _not_ dreaming," the mother promised lovingly. "_You _are here in Auradon with _me_. Will you feel better if I sleep with you tonight, so you don't get scared again?"

When her daughter nodded enthusiastically, Mal adverted her attention to her guests with a small smile. "Looks like we're calling it a night," she announced unapologetically. "We'll see you in the morning. Tell them 'good-night', Lory."

"Night," Mallory greeted as she waved adorably at the group.

After the mother and daughter left the room, the friends waited a few moments just in case the duo walked in. When the coast was clear, they turned to Ben to interrogate him, since he obviously knew everything about Mallory.

But he was nowhere to be seen.

Chuckling softly, Hades claimed, "I think I know where he went."

Turns out, the god's instincts were correct. Quietly sneaking through the halls of the castle, Hades stopped at a particular bedroom, opening the door while trying not to make a sound.

Slumbering peaceful on the bed was a sight that the immortal couldn't help admiring. On his—Hades's—left slept King Ben and on the right Mal. Between the two, Mallory laid with her head on her father's chest while her mother had her arms wrapped around her tiny body. Wrapped around both the mother and daughter was Ben's arm, appearing to keep them safe and secure. It was such a heartwarming sight—

And a perfect family picture for the missing space in Mallory's locket.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the parlor, those who didn't know were pitching ideas to each other while those who did remained silent. There were some suggestions from the AKs, but were shot down immediately by the VKs. When they couldn't logically determine the person, they tried going over the details of what happened, starting with—

"Wait a second," Uma requested as the pieces started forming together. "Halloween. The guy took Mal to his room? I missed only one Halloween party because my mother made me work and that year the adults partied at Hell House while the kids were at. . ."

Boiling with festering rage, the sea witch jumped out of her seat before angrily storming toward the door, leaving some confused and others concerned. "Where are you going?" Jay demanded worriedly.

Twirling angrily toward the thief, Uma declared, "To kill Harry Hook!"


	54. Chapter 54

_Harry Hook had just arrived home to the Isle of the Lost from his 'exciting' adventure in Auradon when he felt somebody abruptly grabbing his arm and tossing him into a dark alley. Harry swung around to attack his attacker, but his arm was grabbed before a connection could be made. Harry scrunched his nose in bafflement when he realized the person was—_

"_Gil?" Harry greeted in confusion. "What the hell was that for? I didn't do—"_

"_Bull-shit!" Gil shouted viciously, much to the pirate's surprise. "I know you raped Mal! I know Mallory is your daughter!"_

_Color draining from his face at hearing the truth from his friend, Harry calmly wondered, "How did you find out?"_

"_Ben called you '_le violateur'," _Gil reminded as he stalked forward menacingly, forcing the pirate to back up instinctively. "That is a French term meaning 'violator' or 'rapist'. Few hours later, Mal calls the person that abused her, her 'violator'. The last clue was Mallory, who, according to the photographs, has eyes identical to yours. I'm surprised no one figured it out from that fact alone."_

_Harry sighed in defeat, knowing it was no used to deny anything. "So? Now what?"_

"_How can you be so nonchalant about this!" Gil demanded a little dramatically. "How could you do that to Mal? _Especially _after you told me you were in love Jay!"_

"_I don't know," Harry admitted tensely. "But I really appreciated that you acted surprise when my sexuality was revealed to everyone when you already knew."_

"_That's because I was your friend!" Gil stubbornly insisted as he continued his march toward the pirate, trapping him in a corner. "A friend is supposed to do those kinds of things. They are _not _supposed to take advantage of someone who's practically their friend's sister, _especially_ when that friend is their crush. You know how much I hate it when my brothers—"_

"_I know," Harry interrupted quickly as his back was against a wall. "You ranted to me every time you stopped them."_

"_Didn't do my any good since you still went through with it," Gil retorted bitterly. "I thought you didn't want kids!"_

"_I don't," Harry quickly agreed. "That hasn't changed. Mallory was an accident. I didn't think Mal would get pregnant or even keep the baby."_

"_You wouldn't have to think about that if you hadn't done something so stupid!" Gil shouted angrily. "I couldn't help Mal then, but I _can_ help her now. You hurt her, so I'm going to return the favor."_

_Eyes widening in fear, Harry watched as Gil pulled his arm back and—_

BAM!

"Harry Hook!"

Flinching at hearing his name and the bang, disrupting his thoughts of previous events, Harry stopped packing his belongings in his bedroom on his father's ship to advert his attention toward the sound. Standing in the doorway in a clearly pissed-off position was none other than his pirate captain.

"Uma," Harry cautiously greeted as he moved to hide his bags behind him. "Shouldn't you be in Auradon with your second cousin?"

"Shouldn't _you_ be with your daughter?" Uma retorted rhetorically.

Just like Gil had confronted him, all the color drained from Harry's face at hearing the question. Sighing in defeat, Harry grumpily assumed, "Gil told you, didn't he?"

"Gil?" Uma scrunched her nose in confusion. "I figured it out on my own. He knows too?"

"He gave me a piece of his mind after we returned from Auradon," Harry confessed, knowing it was no used to keep anything secret from the sea witch anymore. "I blacked out after the first punch."

"If only that could have happened to Mal when you _raped _her," Uma speculated as her temper grew with every passing second. "How could you do that to her? She's my family!"

"I didn't know until Hades told me _after _Mallory was born," Harry claimed, almost sounding as though he was trying to make excuses. "Like I told Gil, I didn't know Mal would get pregnant or keep the baby."

"A fourteen-year-old girl—who was a virgin, _never_ been in a relationship, taught to _never_ turn her back on family—became pregnant when she had no reason to have protection and decided to keep the baby because she's family?" Uma summarized incredulously. "Are you really that fucking stupid?"

"I didn't kno—"

"You don't know a lot of things," Uma interrupted angrily. "Yet, you knew the party was going to be on your father's ship, you knew I would be working, you knew Mal would be there, and you knew Jay would be distracted by dancing. You planned the entire thing but didn't plan for the repercussions."

Harry huffed in aggravation. "Look, I'm sorry. I can't change what I did, so what's the point of arguing about it?"

"You made a teenager a mother!" Uma reminded hysterically. "You made a _child_. Instead of owning up for what you did, you denied any responsibility for your actions. Mallory is going to wonder why her eyes aren't like Ben's or her mother's. Eventually, she'll want to know _you_."

"That's not going to happen," Harry stubbornly retorted. "After all, she can't know me if she can't find me."

Shock struck through Uma at hearing such a statement from her first-mate. Then, the sea witch noticed just how the bare the room was and the semi-packed bags on the bed.

With a disbelieving laugh and unamused shake of her heads, Uma assumed, "So, instead of facing your problems, you're running away like a coward? Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Isle of the Doomed," Harry snapped irritably. "It's isolated, hard to reach—"

"And where Mal and King Ben decided to banish the bitch and bastard," Uma reminded shortly. "You're really going to join the person that threatened to _kill _your daug—"

"She's not my daughter!" Harry shouted viciously, surprising his captain by his rudeness toward her. "How many times do I have to say that? I never wanted kids and I never will. Mallory was a _mistake. _Mal only named her that out of spite toward me. This damn argument wouldn't have happened if Mal had just aborted her."

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't _raped _her," Uma reminded sternly, though her previous passion on the subject lessened. "_This _wouldn't have happened if you had kept your dick in your pants."

With that statement made, the two stared—more like glared—at one another, waiting to see which one would end the disagreement for good. After a few moments of silence, the sea witch sighed in defeat as she decided to ask—

"What if it was me?" Uma wondered, with just a slight timid tone in her voice. "What if I was the one you had a daughter with? Would you have wanted to keep the baby? Would you have claimed her?"

"No," Harry answered almost immediately. "I'm sorry Uma, but I don't see you in a romantic or sexual way. I only see you as my captain."

Knife thrown into her heart at the comment, Uma couldn't help the ironic scoff that escaped her lips. "I lost to Mal again," she declared bitterly. "And this time, I don't care. You are an asshole, and you don't deserve to call me your captain. You don't _deserve _that beautiful little girl you helped conceive. I used to be in love you, but now . . . I can't even stand to look at you."

"Uma, I'm—"

"No," Uma interrupted once more. "I am tired of hearing your lame excuses and your pathetic apologizes. You can go ahead and do whatever the hell you want. I just pray to the gods you don't have a child with that wench. He or she would be miserable with you two being the parents."

With nothing left to say, the sea witch turned to leave, only stopping when Harry called out, "That's it? You're not going to hurt me?"

Gazing over her shoulder, Uma revealed, "I already have, _mentally_. When you became my first mate, you did everything you could to gain my respect and approval; you did everything I asked. Now, you've _lost _my respect and you disgust me. _That _is what hurts you most, because I _hate _you."

Finished with her rant, Uma left the pirate ship with a weight lifted off her shoulders. Meanwhile, Harry slumped on his bed before eventually sliding to floor; the weight of what he did _finally _burdening him—

And he couldn't be anymore disgusted with himself.


	55. Chapter 55

Weeks have passed since the engagement party, where Mal finally gained the courage to tell everyone in Auradon about the truth behind her sexual abuse. On that same night, Uma discovered the identity of the rapist, revealing to the clueless friends that it was Harry Hook. Less than an hour later, Evie and Carlos stormed the Isle of the Lost to confront the perpetrator, but Harry was already long gone.

In the passing days, Mallory wasn't left alone for even a second. Most of the time, she could be found in someone's arms, whether it be her parents', Uncle Jay-Jay's, Uncle Izzy's (Aziz's), Uncle Car-Car's, Aunt Evie's, or Auntie Umie's. When she wasn't being held and needed to travel somewhere, Mallory would walk along-side a wall, running her fingers against the surface as she did so. After repeating the action in front of her mother and father a few times, they discovered the reason for their little girl doing such a small thing—

Mallory's vision was getting worse.

Unconsciously preparing herself, the young child developed certain tricks just in case her vision disappeared completely. The wall was the most noticeable habit formed. The more subtle habit was Mallory counting steps every time she walked to a new room, up and down a flight of stairs, or when there was a fork in her path.

After a couple visits to the eye-doctor, Mallory was given child-safe contacts that her mother or her father helped her take out every night. When she grew tired of wearing them or they irritate her eyes, Mallory would wear her purple-frame glasses instead of the contacts, make her look even more adorable with her chubby cheeks.

With her vision being so poor, it gave more reason for someone to be constantly with Mallory. The only time she was left alone was when she needed to use the rest-room.

_That _was how Mallory managed to sneak away to meet the most beautiful fairy she has ever seen, next to her mother, of course.

On her fourth birthday—her mother's nineteenth birthday as well—a party was thrown for both Mallory and Mal to celebrate. Mallory's father, grandfather, aunts, and uncles joined in the celebration while her mother's closest friends attended as well. It was a relatively small gathering, but everyone made sure to take plenty of pictures to commemorate Mallory's first birthday party in Auradon.

While all the adults mingled with one another, Mallory warned her mother of needing to use the restroom. Her mother gave her permission to go alone, but warned not to take too long since they would be opening their gifts soon. Walking inside the castle—as the celebration took place in the courtyard out front—the little girl noticed a green willowing wisp beckoning her to follow.

Having such a curious personality, Mallory followed the wisp, the urge to relieve herself forgotten.

After a few twists and turns, the magical wisp eventually led the birthday girl to the garden at the rear of the castle. There, Mallory found a fairy almost more beautiful than her mother. The woman had enormous horns that protruded from her long, luscious brown hair. Her wings were the color of the midnight sky, larger than anything Mallory has ever seen! Her eyes were the same color as Mallory's mother: a light green that shined bright with mischief.

The fairy brought a finger to her lips, warning the child to remain silent. Mallory nodded eagerly, excited for what could possibly happen. Satisfied with the adorable response, the fairy slightly raised her fingers towards the little girl, surrounding her in an orange-yellow glow.

With that little action, Mallory's plain purple dress transformed into something . . . _magical_.

Instead of the fabric being all one color, it would turn different shades of purple depending on how Mallory moved. The dress increased in tremendous length, but instead of dragging on the ground, the excess fabric of the skirt magically stayed suspended a couple inches in the air, moving on its own. The new dress had embroideries of butterflies that—when Mallory gazed downward to look at them—floated off the fabric and flew around the girl, causing the birthday to giggle happily at the magic.

Relishing in the girl's delight at something so simple, the fairy cooed lovingly, "Happy birthday, Mallory, my beautiful grand-daughter. . ."

* * *

"Mommy! Daddy!" Mallory shouted as she ran through the courtyard toward her parents. "Look at my new dress! Isn't it pretty?"

"It's beautiful, Lory," Ben complimented, not wanting to sound worried about his daughter suddenly appearing in a dress that she wasn't wearing before. "Where did you get it?"

"Grammy!" Mallory cheered as she twirled in a circle to show off the flowing skirt. "She made it from magic!"

Mal scrunched her nose in confusion, having never heard her daughter say such a phrase before. "'Grammy'?" she repeated uncertainly. "What do you mean? Who's your 'Grammy'?"

"Grammy Maleficent!" Mallory clarified, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, though it shocked the party-goers to hear such a thing. "She said it's a birthday gift to me and she's sorry she couldn't stay. She said it would be a perfect dress for your wedding since I'm your flower girl."

Jaws dropped at the birthday girl's words. Although she should be a child with vivid imagination, the 'adults' didn't have any reason to not believe Mallory. However, Lory has never met the 'Mistress of Evil', so there was no way she would know who she was, unless . . .

"Mallory," Hades began, as he was the one least affected by the news, "what does your 'Grammy Maleficent' look like?"

"Beautiful!" Mallory declared, her attitude as cheerful as ever. "She has pretty long brown hair, horns coming out of her head, green eyes like Mommy's, and she has wings!"

Hades raised a curious eyebrow at the last part of her statement, maintaining his calm composure while his daughter appeared shocked at the news. "Wings," the god repeated uncertainly. "Are you sure about that, Lory?"

"Uh-huh!" Mallory nodded her head eagerly in confirmation. "They were _huge_! They dragged behind her as we walked together. She just got them back from a mean man, who took them from her a long time ago."

"I better call Leah," Mal decided as she quickly dialed the retired queen's number. "I need to make sure Mother did do anything to her."

"She didn't," Mallory reassured. "Since Ms. Leah has been so nice to you, Grammy didn't do anything to her or the mean man. Can I wear my new dress to your wedding? Pretty please?"

* * *

Mallory's pleads weren't needed for her request to be granted.

After all, the little girl looked absolutely beautiful as she threw petals down the aisle a few months later at her parents' wedding. The enormous number of guests cooed when Mallory made her appearance, though they all awed in unison when the child eagerly ran toward Ben, who lifted her into his arms and kissed her cheek lovingly. It was quite the sight to see.

If only King Beast and Queen Belle could have seen it. Maybe they would have attended the wedding.

Then again, they probably wouldn't have noticed since their attention would have been on baby Nasira. After all, Mal and Ben had decided to hold off on their wedding until Jay's and Aziz's daughter was born. Sharing her fathers' dark eyes, hair, and skin, there was no reason for anyone to hate their little girl.

Yet, King Beast still despised the thought of her existence. He just can't get over the fact that a prince—about to be Sultan—decided to have a child with another man. King Beast knew he would say something he shouldn't at his son's wedding, so he believed the best option was not to go.

In doing so, he and his wife missed the way Ben gazed at his bride as she walked down the aisle alone, looking as beautiful as ever in a simple lavender dress that trailed a feet behind her. They missed Mallory jumping out of her father's arms to run to her mother's side, telling her she was the most beautiful fairy in existence. They missed watching the mother and daughter walk the rest of the way, hand in hand, toward the groom.

They missed how incredibly shy Mallory became when the moment finally arrived. The perfect flower girl hid timidly behind her mother, clutching the wedding dress in her tiny hands as she stared at her father with her wide and nearly translucent blue eyes. Mal rested a hand on the back of her daughter's head to comfort her, though her eyes were locked onto her future husband.

When the king and fairy kissed as husband and wife, Mallory eagerly jumped into her father's arms once more. Making sure that she was safely between them, the newly weds kissed her chubby cheeks, making for a picture perfect moment. Some guests couldn't help wondering . . .

What could possibly go wrong?


	56. Chapter 56

"They don't like me."

King Ben, thirty years old with a finely trimmed beard, adverted his gaze from his book to his fifteen-year-old daughter, who didn't look all that interest in her own tale. "What do you mean, Lory?" he wondered as he marked his place before setting the book aside. "Who doesn't like you?"

Sighing softly, Mallory—a spitting image of her mother at her age—removed her purple framed glasses to look at her father, though that really did nothing but her blur vision. Her eye-sight has become so poor recently that it was only a matter of time before she goes blind completely.

"King Beast and Queen Belle," Mallory stubbornly insisted as she placed her own book on a nearby table. "Your parents don't like me. They never look at me. They never acknowledge me. They act like I don't exist."

"That's not true," Ben persistently argued. "Why wouldn't they like you? After all, they're coming to have lunch with us."

"Originally, it was supposed to be _you_ and Mom," Mallory reminded with a slight grumble in her tone. "Grandpa Aido was going to take me to see Cerbie today, which was why your parents planned the lunch for today. Grandpa Aido had to change our plans because of work. I think he's trying to find a suitable punishment for the blonde-haired man that died a few weeks ago due to an illness, the one that lived on the Isle of the Doomed."

Ben narrowed his eyes at his daughter to show his disapproval. "And how do you know about that?"

"I eavesdropped on the conversation between you two and Mom," Mallory admitted with a careless shrug. "You guys can't really blame me since you went to his funeral without me. I was curious."

"So, you decided to bring it up when your mother left the room, so you wouldn't get in trouble?" Ben deduced with a slightly amused tone in his voice, knowing just how sneaky and mischievous their daughter could be. "That doesn't explain why they wouldn't like you."

"Because I'm not your daughter," Mallory blurted out. "At least, not your birth daughter."

Instead of denying the accusation, Ben sighed softly at hearing the 'secret' out in the open. "Who told you?"

"Grammy Maleficent," Mallory snitched, knowing nothing could be done to the evil fairy since no one could ever find her. "She told me because she knew you and Mom wouldn't—or couldn't—bring yourselves to tell me the truth on how I was conceived. Don't worry, hearing what you did for me and Mom made me love you even more, Dad."

"You will always be my daughter," Ben reassured as he leaned over to kiss the teenager's forehead. "I will always love you, even if you like to prank me."

Snickering softly, Mallory returned her glasses to her face as she accused, "Blame Uncle Jay-Jay and Uncle Car-Car. They're the ones that give me the ideas. You have to admit, you rocked that purple beard a few months ago."

Ben chuckled at the memory of the mischievous girl replacing his beard oil with purple beard dye. "Your mother couldn't look at me for a week without laughing," he recalled with a smile. "I can't wait to convince Nasira and Cameron into pranking them. Maybe I'll have them use blue hair-dye, so they look like your Aunt Evie."

"Or you and I can prank them after my coronation!" Mallory schemed with an evil glint in her eyes. "They're staying at the castle that night, so it'll be perfect! We'll warn Uncle Izzy and Aunt Jane so nothing happens to them. We could dye their kids' hair to match! They'll be so mad and confused, it'll be hilarious! But they need to have a different hair color than Mom, Aunt Evie, _and _Aunt Umie so we can have a rainbow group picture to commemorate my coronation!"

"Hmmm . . ." Ben pondered on a few ideas before suggesting, "How about lime green for Uncle Jay-Jay and Nasira and hot pink for Uncle Car-Car and Cameron?"

"Perfect!" Mallory declared as her smile grew even larger. "I can't wait!"

"Can't wait for what?"

Like flipping a switch, the teenager's happy attitude about pranking her uncles turned timid and quiet at hearing the elder man's voice. Noticing the obvious change, Ben inwardly sighed before gazing at the voice's owner. Standing at the doorway was none other than King Beast and Queen Belle, who now sported wrinkles and gray hair from aging the past eleven years.

"We're planning a father-daughter date together for after her coronation," Ben skillfully fibbed before changing the subject at the last second. "You're here awful early. Lunch won't be ready for another hour."

"We thought we would socialize before we eat," King Beast claimed before he spared a slight glance at the suddenly mute teenager. "Wasn't she supposed to be gone?"

"Hades has been busy after Chad Charming's death and had to cancel his plans with _my _daughter," Ben informed pointedly. "So, Mallory will be joining us. If you don't like it, then you are more than welcome to leave. Mal will be back shortly, so you have until then to decide."

"Of course, we will stay," Queen Belle quickly intervened before her husband could lose his temper. "We were just surprised by her appearance. We can still have a pleasant meal together with the extra guest."

Before Ben could argue with the particular phrase used, Mal arrived at just the right moment. Though she still had her flawless, porcelain skin and beautifully unique purple hair, the thirty-year-old fairy looked unnaturally pale, like she was feeling under the weather.

"Sorry," Mal apologized insincerely as she clutched her stomach, not knowing what transpired just moments before. "I may have to cancel our lunch plans. Evie's coming by in a few to take me to the doctor."

Mallory tilted her head curiously at her mother. "What's wrong, Mom?"

"Nothing that you need to worry about," the fairy quickly reassured so no one would worry. "I've just been having morning sickness lately and I don't know why."

The retired royals perked up at hearing the information. "Maybe you're pregnant!" Queen Belle speculated gleefully, too excited to notice the unconvinced looks the other married couple shared. "You and Ben can finally have a child together!"

Although Ben fumed at hearing his mother speak in such a way, Mal quickly denied, "I don't think that's it. Lady Tremaine said I wouldn't be able to have any more children after having Mallory. Besides, we haven't done anything since our anniversary. If I am pregnant, I would be showing by now."

"You can't rule anything out yet," King Beast disputed. "We'll wait until you return to hear the good news."

* * *

The couple hours that Mal wasn't present was nothing but pure torture for Mallory and Ben. Ben's parents droned on and on about Mal potentially caring their 'miracle' baby; they could finally raise their 'perfect' family. Through-out their nonsensical rambling, Ben wanted to lash out at his parents. Just like his daughter said, they were completely Mallory's existence when she was sitting across from them.

However, Ben's temper subsided when Mallory gifted him a shy smile, reassuring that she wasn't affected by their words. After eating lunch together and settling themselves in the hearth room, Mal made her grand arrival.

With a bitter-sweet smile, Mal revealed, "I'm not pregnant. I was experiencing the symptoms because I believed I should have. The doctor appointment confirmed that I'm unable to have any more children."

Mallory raised an eyebrow at the information. "You're only thirty. You're really going through menopause so early?"

"You really forgot I had you on the Isle at fifteen?" Mal teased, as that was part of their usual banter. "We don't need another child, because we already have the perfect one: _you_."

Mallory's heart swelled at hearing the proclamation from her mother. Unable to contain her emotions, the teenager hugged her mother, basking when Mal kissed her forehead lovingly.

Taking a moment to appreciate the moment between the mother and daughter, Ben turned his attention toward his disappointed parents with a stern glare. "Now that's settled, let's get one thing straight," he insisted as his scowl grew. "Mallory _is_ my daughter. Yes, she's not my daughter from birth. She unfortunately knew that from her maternal grandmother. I don't care that we share no blood because I love her _and _her mother."

"Son—"

"_No_," Ben forcefully interrupted his father. "You can't talk your way out of this. For the past couple hours—actually, for the past eleven years—you two have completely ignored Mallory and treated her like she's a nuisance when she is your grand-daughter. Enough is enough. If you can't accept that I claim her as my daughter, then get the hell out of our castle and get the hell out of our life."


	57. Chapter 57

**Thank you to everyone that has followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. It has definitely become one of my favorites that I've written and easily one of my most popular.**

**As for the poll on my profile, the clear winners are the role-reversed story ('****Renversè'****) and the High School Musical idea. I planned on having the first chapters published the same day as this chapter, but family matters came first. I will try to get those chapters finished by next Friday.**

**As for the third story, it's not an option listed. Someone made a story request (a Kankuro love story) that I'm sure some have seen on my SnapChat (username: rein-reads). It's a story I'm really looking forward to writing because I have a really good idea for it. Don't be discouraged though! I have a plan!**

**For the crossover between 'Monster's Inc' and 'The Incredibles', I will publish that story in October and plan it so the last chapter ends on Halloween. '****Frozen Fear****' received a lot more votes than I thought it would, so I will update that in late November and try to end it in December since it is a wintery movie. As for '****A Second Blessing****' and '****Ashes****', I will try to update those two every couple weeks and make those the main priority when I finish '****Renversè****' and the HSM story.**

**I think that is about it, so thank you once again for reading this story.**

**Enjoy the last chapter of '****Daughter of Mal****'.**

* * *

According to the retired royals, Ben couldn't have been any more selfish by forcing them to accept a child that wasn't his. King Beast compared it to accepting Aziz's sexuality and the fact that he 'disgraced' himself by having a daughter with a man. Hearing the disgusting judgement, Ben promptly called his royal guards to throw his father and escort his mother out of the castle, ignoring his father's shouts that claimed he was making a mistake.

Honestly, a nagging weight lifted off Ben's shoulder once the deed was done, making him wish he cut ties with them long ago. Unsurprisingly, life became a lot happier without those two constantly harping at the family of three. The castle contained a much more cheerful vibe that helped with planning the final details of Mallory's coronation. Speaking of the momentous occasion, the event had been delayed for one month after Mallory's sixteenth birthday for one major reason.

Her eyes.

The princess's vision seemed to grow worse with every passing day. The best doctors in Auradon feared it would be a matter of time before Mallory would become completely blind. They claimed nothing could be done—

But they've underestimated the determination of a fairy grand-mother.

When her grand-daughter informed her of the dreadful news during their weekly walks, Maleficent _finally _made her an appearance before her daughter and son-in-law, offering a solution. She could cure Mallory of her impending blindness and change her eye-sight to near perfect vision. There's just one problem.

Mallory's eye color would change no matter what.

Maleficent could attempt to change her grand-daughter's eyes back to their original hue, but it wouldn't be a perfect match. Or, the 'evil' fairy could change the color to whatever the future-queen wishes. Before Mallory could make such a big decision, there was just one thing she needed to do first.

Visit the man responsible for her terrible eye.

Obviously, the princess knew her parents would be completely against seeing the man that abandoned her before she existed. Besides, he was living on a remote island with a woman that threatened to kill the princess when she was mere a toddler. To top it off, there was no way her parents would tell her where the island was located.

And that's why Mallory loved her grandparents so much.

Both Maleficent and Hades gave their grand-daughter directions to travel toward the island, unbeknown that the other did so. Their instructions were nearly identical, so Mallory had no reason to doubt their advice. To make it easier for the nearly blind teenager, the evil fairy offered to create another willow wisp guide the princess to her intended destination.

So, in the early morning of her coronation day before the dawn could break through, Mallory traveled through the desolate woods of the Isle of the Lost. To blend in with the villagers, Mallory 'borrowed' one of her mother's old leather, 'VK' outfits that was buried at the bottom of the closet. Wearing those clothes made her realize one thing . . .

Mallory was _NOT _as her curvaceous as her mother.

From looking through photo-books time and time again, Mallory knew her mother's clothes usually clung to her body, showing off her wonderful figure. Every new outfit would make Mal's build more prominent, which was one of the reasons why she was so beautiful. Sadly, her daughter has yet to inherit her striking figure.

In other words, Mallory has a flat ass.

Her mother's clothes were too baggy to be considered normal looking. The shirt was loose and flowy while her pants sagged on her hips, threatening to fall if she took a misstep. The only that fit comfortably was the black leather gloves and the purple-green leather boots.

Anyways, after carefully walking through the forest and using one of the goblin's makeshift boats to cross the water path, Mallory found herself on the Isle of the Doomed. She must have trekked up the island for nearly an hour before she arrived just outside the Forbidden Fortress—

Where an unfamiliar man was watching the sunrise.

The man was quite tall and had tan, muscular, bulging biceps that stood out against his black, sleeveless leather jacket. His raven hair was long and shabby from being unkempt for so long. The one thing that clearly stood out on him was his light blue eyes surrounded by dark circles, a prominent feature on—

"Harry Hook!" Mallory called out with an uncertainty in her tone.

Immediately, the man turned toward the princess, scrunching his nose in unfamiliarity. "Who are you?" Harry demanded forcefully. "How did you get on this island?"

Surprisingly, Mallory scoffed at the interrogation. "I shouldn't be surprised that you don't recognize me," she claimed as she glared pointedly at the man. "After all, you've never met me before because you never wanted to."

Eyes widening in a mixture of fear and recognition, Harry assumed, "Mallory? But how—"

"My mother is the daughter of a fairy and a god," Mallory reminded while raising a suspicious eyebrow. "You really think neither one would tell me, their granddaughter, about the man that raped my mother? Especially since my dad nearly killed you when he found out it was you?"

"If you know who I am, then why are you here?" Harry wondered as he slightly tilted his head in confusion. "In fact, shouldn't you be getting ready for your—"

"Harry!" beckoned a woman's voice from inside the Forbidden Fortress. "Where are you?"

"Outside, babe," Harry informed as he kept his gaze on the teenager. "We have a visitor."

A few moments later, a brown-haired woman wearing a raggedy pink dress walked out with a peculiar object in her arms. Swaddled in a blue blanket was a young baby boy, maybe no older than a month, with the darkest hair color Mallory has ever seen. The baby's eyes . . . were _identical _to Mallory's.

"Thomas James Hook," Audrey cooed as she cradled the infant lovingly in his arms. "Your son missed you, Harry."

Within a split second, Harry's once worried demeanor instantly changed into pure happiness at seeing the child. Completely forgetting about the guest, Harry stepped forward to take the child into his arms. The glint of adoration in the pirate's eyes was so prominent that it caused Mallory to scoff in annoyance.

"You're fucking kidding me," she blatantly cursed while shaking her head in disbelief. "So, if I was a boy, you would have claimed me? You forsake me because you didn't want a kid, yet you welcome him because he's your son? Because you could name him after your father, even though I was named after you?"

Audrey glared at the teenager in contempt. "Who are you?" she demanded while snarling at the child's outfit in disgust. "A pathetic Mal-wannabe?"

"She's my mother, bitch," Mallory sneered viciously. "I'm the girl you threatened to kill, which is the reason why you're stuck on this island."

"Mallory," Audrey construed as her glare deepened. "You're Harry's daughter."

"No," Mallory vehemently denied. "I am the daughter of Queen Mal _and _King Ben. King Ben is my wonderful and caring father. This man is the bastard that cursed me with my eyes."

"So why are you here?" Harry wondered, keeping his tone calm so he wouldn't upset the infant in his arms. "You came all this way just to yell at me?"

"To see if I want to keep my eye-color," Mallory corrected. "I am days—maybe even hours—away from becoming blind. My Grammy, Maleficent, can save my sight, but the color will be altered. I came here to see who the man is that gave me my eyes. Now, I am surer than ever that I _don't_ want to be reminded of you."

The princess glanced at the baby for a brief second. "Your son will be welcomed to Auradon or the Isle when he's older," Mallory reassured. "But he will have to deal with the poor vision on his own."

Pausing to consider a somewhat sadistic thought, Mallory warned, "As for you two, Cerberus is going to have _fun _toying with you when you die."

As the teenager began walking away, Audrey yelled defensively, "Did you just make a threat to us?"

"A princess makes threats," Mallory corrected before looking over her shoulder to glare at the disrespectful mother. "A _queen_ makes promises."

Enjoying the way the parents paled at the correction, the soon-to-be-queen teased, "Have fun in Hell!"

* * *

_Somehow, _Mallory managed to return to her room with just enough time to change into her usual night gown before someone knocked on the door. Her parents walked in moments afterwards, wishing her a good-morning before warning of her grandmother's arrival in just a few short minutes to create her dress and fix her vision.

During the planning stages, Mallory had this wonderful idea for how she wanted her coronation dress to look, but only Maleficent could make it happen. Evie was quite understanding when it came to the dress. _Hades _was the one annoyed, practically whining about wanting to do something for his grand-daughter, which is how he managed to convince the trio to create Mallory's crown.

With how much they spoiled her, Mallory didn't need another set of grandparents to help with her special day.

No one saw Mallory until her horse drawn carriage trotted toward the front of a cathedral. Once the carriage stopped at the steps of the cathedral, footmen opened the doors for the princess, helping her out safely. Trumpets blared from both sides of Mallory as she walked up the cathedral stairs.

All while her eyes remained closed.

You see, Mallory wanted to keep the decision about her eyes a secret until the moment she became queen. Even her own parents were clueless about her choice. Luckily, to prepare herself, Mallory rehearsed traveling through the passage in the same closed-eyes manner for two weeks so she could walk with confidence instead of shuffling in fear.

Soon enough the cathedral doors opened, allowing Princess Mallory to walk through and down the long aisle. The audience respectfully bowed as the young princess walked by, most completely transfixed by her dress. Since she loved her 'flower girl' dress from her parents' wedding so much, Mallory had her grandmother recreate the dress to be fitting for a teenage queen. The skirt of the dress was probably triple in length as it now dragged behind her and more butterflies surrounded her than before.

Mallory approached the stage where Fairy Godmother and her parents awaited her with the magic wand. While Mallory knelt before them, Fairy Godmother lifted the crown—made from black gold and bedazzled with priceless jewels—from a nearby pillow placed it on the girl's head. King Ben lifted the glass bell jar so Queen Mal could hand the wand to Fairy Godmother, just like the previous coronation.

With the wand in the headmistress's hand, the choir stopped singing. The entire cathedral went silent as they anticipate the next few moments. Holding out the wand in front of her, Fairy Godmother questioned for all in the cathedral to hear, "Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of Auradon with justice and mercy as long as you shall reign?"

Taking in a deep breath to calm herself, Mallory proudly declared, "I do solemnly swear."

"Then it is my honor," Fairy Godmother began as she motioned her wand in a way that looked like she was knighting Mallory, "and my joy to bless our new queen."

Standing to full height, Mallory finally opened her eyes to gaze at her parents' proud expressions—

Revealing her daddy's blue-green eyes.


End file.
